Traders at the Mombasa auction are sidelining expensive Kenyan tea because of the reserve price of $2.43 (Sh283) per kilogramme set by the government, leading to huge withdrawals of smallholder produce.
Tea buyers have opted for cheaper beverage from Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi that do not have minimum price, giving a wide berth to Kenya Development Agency (KTDA) teas on account of being expensive.
