The Board of Kenya Tea Development Agency Holdings on Thursday announced that farmers affiliated to KTDA MS managed factories, will be paid a mini bonus in July 2021.
The payment will be combined with the Green leaf supply for the month of June 2021. The payment will range between Sh2 and Sh5 per kilogram of green leaf delivered for six months between July 2020 and December 31, 2020.
The board, which took over the running of the company on June 21, said farmers have been requesting for this payment to meet their financial obligations and only farmers from Kirinyaga and Embu were paid the same in the month of April this year with March green leaf deliveries.
KTDA Chairman David Muni Ichoho said the payment will be based on the financial performance of each factory, mainly driven by prices, hence the variation in payment. Ichoho said that his board is focused on implementing the tea reforms which are aimed at improving the wellbeing of the smallholder tea farmers.
The Tea Act was signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta in December last year and The Board Chairman thanked the President for backing the tea sector which the Chairman noted serves more than 10 million Kenyans and is a leading foreign exchange earner for the country.
Sadly, the chairman noted that the previous KTDA leadership has frustrated all the efforts to reform the sector which would immensely benefit the farmers through court matters invariably using the money that the farmers need for their daily livelihood.
Ichoho further urged the respective factory boards to fast track the signing of the mini bonus payment resolutions assisted by the respective factory managers so that the farmers are paid on time.
Source: The Star
