Reduced rainfall in tea-growing zones resulted in dampened production, with volumes dropping 15.2 percent during the first four months of this year to 188.68 million kilogrammes down from 222.6 million kilogrammes in a similar period last year, data now shows.
Industry figures from the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) further indicate that the dip in quantity resulted in a 17.7 percent drop in sales volumes to 137.8 million kilogrammes down from the 167.5 million kilogrammes recorded in the four months to April 2024.
TBK projects that going by the trend observed during the review period, annual production for this year will be lower by at least two percent compared to last year.
“Owing to the effects of hot and dry weather conditions during February and March, as well as lower rainfall conditions experienced in April, cumulative production for the first four months of the year was lower by 15.2 percent (compared to a similar period last year),” TBK said in its monthly statistical update. “Going by the trend for the first four months, production for the whole year is projected at 580 million kilogrammes, which will be lower by about two percent compared to 594 million kilogrammes recorded in 2024 but slightly higher than 570 million kg in 2023.”
The board notes that though there was a fair general demand for tea at the auction, most marketers were either selective, less active, or operated at lower price levels.
“The prices continued to be impacted negatively by the effects of the global economic shock experienced in most countries due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis,” it said.
Tea production opened the year on a high of 54.4 million kilogmmes in January, but dropped to 44.6 million kilogrammes in February and further to 37.9 million kilogrammes in March, before rising to 51.8 million kilogrammes in April.
Kenya produces black tea mainly for export to Middle East and Europe, with key destinations being Pakistan, Egypt, Britain, and Afghanistan.
As of last year, the country had risen to become one of the world’s top exporters of black tea contributing about 22 percent of the global supply and around Sh180 billion to the national economy every year.
Over 97 percent of tea plucked from large tea estates comes from estates located in the west of the Rift Valley, with Nyayo Tea Zones producing more than 68 percent of the quantity from the area.
