TEA NEWS

• With a forest cover estimated at 7.24 percent of Kenya’s total land area, against the recommended global minimum of 10 percent, Kenya is classified as one of the low tree cover countries in the world. • Kenya has already signed a Statement of Intent with the United Nations Resident Coordination office putting in motion a multi-partner trust fund (MPTF)—a global pooled financing mechanism—to raise money for acceleration of tree growing activities between now and next year. • UNDP has also been chairing Kenya’s forest donor working group to raise financing to accelerate the tree growing campaign.

good demand

No proxy votes will be allowed at the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) elections for representatives of small scale farmers on Wednesday.

After a hiatus of about 10 years, Iraq may open doors to Indian tea. The Baghdad Chamber of Commerce has invited Indian tea companies to participate in the first tea festival in Iraq which will be held at the end of this month.

Climate change is touching every aspect of our lives – including our daily cups of tea. Kenya and Malawi are the African continent’s largest tea producers and exporters, together accounting for about 27% of global tea trade. Tea producers in the two countries have already seen what damage climatic shifts can do, as damaging droughts, frost and high temperatures are already becoming more common.

Ten tea factories are formulating fresh management contracts with the Kenya Tea Development Agency Management Services to comply with the government reforms. Directors in the processing factories are for the first time involved in formulating the new contracts, with a technical committee appointed on Friday to kick off the process.

Tea growers in five regions have signed a Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA) with the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) that will see a 12 per cent wage increase for workers.

GOOD DEMAND AT EASIER RATES BP1 : Selected best East KTDA dearer 25/50 cts, others dearer 5/12 cts, West KTDA firm on reserve limits, Nandi easier 28 cts, available Limuru firm, Kericho easier 3/8 cts, Uganda easier up to 16 cts.

The National Treasury is expected to roll out the programme beginning next month in order to subsidize fertilizer for tea farmers. “KTDA welcomes the presidential directive for the allocation of a Kshs. 1 billion fertilizer subsidy for tea farmers.

India’s higher tea production has helped over come any problem with global output in view of a massive shortfall in Kenya. Global black tea output so far is estimated at 1.36 billion kg so far this calendar year against 1.23 billion kg during the same period a year ago.

Sri Lanka’s ambitious quest to become the first organic farming nation has come to a sudden stop after a ban on the import of chemical fertilizer was reversed recently.