Kenya: May Tea Output Falls But Exports Increase

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Peter Kiragu

28 June 2011

Kenya’s tea production fell by 7 percent in May but on the other hand exports went up by 11 percent, current figures form the Tea Board of Kenya show. Compared to a production of 35.6 kgs of tea in the month of May last year, tea output for May this year fell to 32.8 million kgs.

The board attributed the lower production to depressed and poorly distributed rainfall pattern experienced in most tea growing areas during the month. “West of Rift was the most affected with its tea output dropping by 9.1 per cent from 21.3 million kgs recorded in May 2010 to 19.3 million kgs,” said a statement from the board. “Within the East of Rift production was lower by 5.6 per cent from 14.2 million kgs recorded in May 2010 to 13.4 million kgs.”

The month saw tea output within smallholder sub-sector decreasing by 6.8 per cent from 20.9 million kgs to 19.5 million kgs while that of the plantation sub-sector recorded a 9.1 per cent decrease from 14.6 million kgs to 13.3 million kgs. “As a consequence of poor rainfall, cumulative tea production for the period January-May stood at 149.5 million kgs, which was 18 per cent lower compared to 183.1 million kgs recorded during the same period of 2010,” the statement said.

Kenyan tea continued to attract a lot of internation attention with total export volume standing at 34.4 million kgs, which was 11 per cent higher compared to 31.0 million kgs recorded same period of last year. Out of the 37 export destinations, Egypt was the leading exporter with 6.4 million kgs of tea from Kenya. This is 19 per cent of total export volume.

Other key export destinations for Kenyan tea were UK which imported 5.5 Million kgs, Afghanistan (4.4 million kgs) Pakistan (4.1 million kgs), and Sudan (3.7 million kgs).

Sudan however recorded the highest growth in Kenya tea export at 99 per cent, followed by UK (49 per cent) and Afghanistan (10 per cent).

Kenyans are also increasingly turing to tea usage with local tea consumption for the month standing at 2.04 million kgs, 30 per cent higher compared to 1.56 million kgs recorded last year.

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