Tea production declines by 26 million kilogrammes on bad weather

Tea production in half-year to June declined by 26 million kilogrammes compared to the corresponding period last year on the back of unfavourable weather.

The Tea Directorate said 274 million kilos of green leaf were delivered to factories between January and June , down from 300 million in a similar period of 2020.

It attributed the decline in volumes to dry conditions and extremely cold weather that impacted negatively on the crop.

“Owing to unfavourable weather conditions experienced this year to date, coupled with the effects of cold temperatures that is expected to continue up to the end of August followed by warm temperatures until October, lower production trend is expected to continue throughout the rest of the year,” said the directorate.

However, there was an increase in export of made teas as traders released more stocks that they were holding to the market in the review period.

The total volume export for the half-year period was 19 percent higher when compared with the previous period with the volumes shipped out of the country hitting 298 million kilogrammes when compared with 250 million kilos in 2020.

The price of the commodity declined in the review period from $1.96 to $2.07 previously with the decline attributed to an increase in supply in the global market.

Local sales of the beverage continue to decline as Kenyans cut on tea intake. According to the directorate, the volumes of tea sold locally in the review period declined to 18 million kilos from 20 million in the previous season.

All the top 10 buyers of Kenya’s tea registered a significant increase in volumes of the beverage that they bought from the Mombasa auction.

In June, Kenya tea was shipped to 43 export destinations, compared with 46 countries in the same period last year.