Sh300m set aside to promote Kenyan tea

The government is to spend Sh300 million in marketing local tea in the international market, Agriculture minister William Ruto, has said.

This will help empower small-scale tea farmers economically, he said. Mr Ruto regretted that despite increased prices of tea in world markets, local farmers are still being paid peanuts for their produce. He urged farmers to increase acreage under the crop, as the government makes efforts to open up tea markets globally.

Speaking at Getarwet Girls Secondary School in Bureti District during a funds drive for the construction of the school’s dormitory, the Eldoret North MP reminded farmers to take advantage of the government’s reduced prices of fertiliser to diversify their agricultural activities.

Unsuspecting

The government, he warned, will deal firmly and have licenses of stockists cancelled, if found selling fertiliser to unsuspecting farmers above the recommended price of Sh2,000 per 50kg bag of DAP.

He was accompanied by the area MP and Roads minister Franklin Bett, Assistant minister for Home Affairs Beatrice Kones, Konoin MP Julius Kones and former Health minister Paul Sang.

 Mr Ruto said the government had released maize and sorghum seeds worth Sh4 million for distribution to poor farmers in Bureti for planting this season.