Kericho County is planning to set up a tea factory in the coming financial year, a project that will cost KSh150 million.
Alongside the factory project, the county will establish a tea auction, separate from the weekly tea auction in Mombasa.
According to Kericho governor, professor Paul Chepkwony, the tea factory project aims to ensure that tea business is profitable and relevant to the Western Kenya region. The project also aims to curb the exploitation of small scale tea farmers by Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).
“By establishing a new tea auction far away from Mombasa and a local tea factory in Western region that covers Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega, and Kisii, we will be in a position to process and market value-added teas and curb huge losses incurred from unjustified levies charged at Mombasa auction,” Chepkwony said.
See Also:
