Murang’a tea farmers’ bonus goes up by 64 percent
Farmers pick tea at a farm in Karingani ward in Chuka/Igambang'ombe constituency, Tharaka Nithi County.
The tea bonus in Murang’a County has increased by 64 percent from last year’s pay.
This follows tea sector reforms that have been going on for the past two years.
Releasing the pay list yesterday in Murang’a town, Kenya Tea Sector lobby chairman Irungu Nyakera said Githambo Tea Factory fetched the highest earnings of Sh56 per kilo, up from Sh34 last year, a 64.7 percent growth.
It was followed by Kanyenya-ini Tea Factory, which recorded 56.1 percent growth, with the bonus growing from Sh33 to Sh55.1 per kilo.
Kiru Tea Factory will pay Sh51.2, up from Sh33, reflecting a 55.2 percent rise.
Gatunguru farmers will pocket Sh52.5, up from Sh34 last year.
Njunu growers will earn Sh57 per kilo, while Nduti suppliers are to get Sh53, up from last year’s Sh37.
Ikumbi farmers will get Sh57.5, up from last year’s Sh41, to reflect a 40.2 percent growth, while Makomboki won a 35.6 percent increase, with its farmers raking in Sh59, up from Sh27.50 last year.
Gacharage factory will see its farmers earn Sh60.7, up from Sh46 last year, while Ngere factory recorded the least growth of 29.5 percent, with its farmers earning Sh57, up from last year’s Sh44.
Mr Nyakera attributed the improved earnings to President Uhuru Kenyatta, who he said had kicked out cartels that had gripped the sector.
“With his Agriculture CS Peter Munya, we were able to come up with structural reforms in the sector that can only guarantee the tea farmers an upward trajectory on earnings if the reforms are sustained,” he said.
Mr Nyakera said he foresees a scenario where the worst-paid small-scale tea farmer will be a “comfortable millionaire by 2027”.
Mr Nyakera said county governments remain the critical focal point in sustaining the upward growth of earnings as agriculture is a devolved function.
“It will be the county government’s job to help farmers stabilise net profits by ... helping them incur low production costs. It is the duty of the county government to roll out ideal subsidy programmes to farmers in a bid to check fluctuations in earnings,” he said.
