KTDA factories pockets Sh1.3 billion at the weekly auction  

The Mountain Journal

editor@themountainjournal.co.ke

The tea weekly sales fetched less returns of Sh1,344,775,787 after the sale of  3,899,719   kg of tea at the Mombasa tea auction.

Reports from the auction indicates that factories in the east of the rift fetched Sh 987,699,220 after the sale of 2,355,828 kgs while the west of rift managed Sh  357,076,567 for 1,533,891 kgs.

In the previous tea market, factories posted Sh1.6 billion after the auction of  4,800,135 kgs.

Makomboki tea factory took the leading position after it posted a payment of Sh49.3 million after the sale of 113,752 kgs, Ngere Sh49.1 million(112,708kgs)Githambo Sh38.1 million(104,042kgs)Mununga Sh35.1 million, Kimunye Sh32.7 million,Rukuriri Sh32.2 million (71,756 kgs)among others.

KTDA Holding Enos Njeru  said the competition on production of quality green leaf among the factories has yielded fruits as Momul and Mogogosiek tea factories in the west of the rift posted Sh22.4 million and Sh19.3 million respectively.

Mr Njeru said the tea buyers are interested in the quality of all the tea farmers to address production of quality teas in their farms.

“Tea stakeholders have been working with partners in efforts to promote production of quality teas among all the 880,000 growers countrywide. Kenya tea  controls a larger part of the market owing to the production of the best grades,” said Njeru.

Ngere Tea Factory Chairman James Githinji said farmers in Ngere have been educated on the need to pluck quality green leaf.

 Githinji, also a KTDA board member in zone two, said buyers are going for the best quality thus the need for the farmers in the tea growing counties to embrace production of best quality. 

In the further analysis of the auction the poor performers were Kapsara Sh2.6 million (12,366kgs), Kiamokama Sh2.6 million(11,464kgs),Itumbe Sh2.8 million (11,428kgs), Gianchore Sh3.1million ( 12.124kg), and Eberege Sh3.3 million (14,636kgs).

In the buyers category, the mombasa auction sold 9,465,914 kgs, where Kenya tea producers presented 7,481,175kgs, Uganda 1,182,531kgs, Tanzania 164,876 kgs,Rwanda 529,364 kgs,and Burundi 107,968 kgs. 

In the market analysis, Chai Trading bought 16,080 packages, LAB International 15,960packages, James Finlay 15,920 packages,Global Tea 14,760 packages, Adity Birla 12,260 packages, Mombasa Coffee 8,120 packages, while Mitchell Cotts bought 3,640 packages.

Buyers who bought the least tea at the market were Tiger Exports, Mabroc East Africa and Kirindo Traders each 40 packages