Markets & Finance

Small-scale tea farmers fault ‘bonus’ payments

tea

KTDA has announced that Sh69 billion will be paid to farmers but small players are now faulting the agency. FILE

Small-scale tea farmers are threatening to down tools over what they termed as low ‘bonus’ payments for the past year’s harvest.

Through their umbrella union, the Kenya Union of Small Scale Tea Owners (Kussto), the farmers said Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) announcement that Murang’a farmers would be paid an average Sh31 per kilo of green leaf was unfair.

The union accused KTDA of exploitation yet farmers worked in difficult conditions.

Kussto national co-ordinator Raphael Muhanda said despite the backbreaking labour in tea farms, the bonus payment is always a ‘joke’. He said last year, farmers were paid Sh32 per kilo of green leaf yet the crop was attracting competitive prices in the international market.

“This bonus payment is a joke which farmers cannot take anymore, we will call for a national strike if the issue is not addressed and ask farmers to stop picking tea,” he said on Thursday.

The farmers said the poor payments would make the already high cost of living worse. Bonus is added to monthly payments that mostly go to settling wages.

KTDA has announced that Sh69 billion will be paid to farmers but small players are now faulting the agency.

Comprehensive

Mr Muhanda said according to Kussto calculations, this year’s bonus payment means that each farmer earned Sh2,000 per month, which translated to Sh10 per day.

“With Sh10 per day, what can a farmer do or buy?” he asked, adding that farmers work in difficult conditions that affect many people’s health.

Mr Muhanda claimed that 21 tea farmers have died this year after they fell sick and failed to seek medical attention due to lack of money while others could not afford to buy food.

The lobby called upon the government to stop KTDA from managing the sector, saying it was a cartel that was out to exploit farmers.

“Tea farmers should be allowed to run their affairs and KTDA should keep off the industry as it has continued to exploit us,” he said in Murang’a.

Mr Muhanda said his union was looking forward to a comprehensive response on the subject from the government when they attend a round-table called by the Ministry of Agriculture.