Address tea farmers’ woes

After toiling for a long time to grow crops, farmers do not deserve to be held hostage to administrative hitches. Besides growing the food to feed our increasing population, farmers also help the country to earn the foreign exchange that it badly needs to meet its financial obligations. Tea growers, particularly, have done the country proud over the years by producing a quality crop that is snapped up in the international markets.

As a gesture of appreciation, these farmers should be recognised for being such a valuable national asset. Logically, their grouses should be promptly attended to, being the source of the foreign exchange that is becoming increasingly elusive as the competition for international markets intensifies.

The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has, in the past, done a good job of enabling farmers to grow a lot of quality tea and market it through the tea auctions. However, some serious challenges emerged that have necessitated reforms, leading to its transformation into an agency and allowing farmers greater control over their crop. But a conflict has been simmering, causing farmers to stage protests.

In Nyeri County, farmers have boycotted tea picking in protest against low bonus payments. In Meru, farmers are uprooting their tea bushes to protest at perceived poor earnings. There have also been protests in other tea-growing areas, including Kericho, which are bound to hamper production and undermine the pivotal role of the crop as the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner. It is, therefore, important that the government addresses rising tension in the tea sub-sector.

The reforms that have seen the role of the KTDA minimised should be continued and the farmers’ concerns taken into consideration. Since farmers cannot be forced to grow any crop, it is important that adequate incentives be introduced to boost tea production and make the effort worthwhile.