Key Reforms Give Renewed Hope to Kenya's Small-Scale Tea Farmers
Smallholder tea farmers in southwestern Kenya are reportedly finally getting recognition after the government recently revised laws governing the subsector. They are now getting better returns for their crops, having a say in who represents them and are being paid on time for what is the country's primary export. The reforms put in place in March 2021, have created measures meant to cushion the farmers against exploitation.
What's key is the change of the electoral systems of farmers' representatives, otherwise known as directors, as well as the replacement of marketing rules covering tea, according to Nyamira County Commissioner Amos Mariba.
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Kenya:
Key Reforms Give Renewed Hope to Small-Scale Tea Farmers
RFI, 16 June 2021
Smallholder tea farmers in southwestern Kenya are finally getting recognition after the government recently revised laws governing the subsector. They are now getting better… Read more »
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Kenya:
Meru Farmers Oppose Arrival of Tea Plucking Machines
Nation, 16 June 2021
Tea farmers in Meru County have opposed the introduction of plucking machines, saying the gadgets will affect the quality of green leaf and lead to reduced earnings. Read more »
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Kenya:
Tea Industry in Kenya Remains Resilient to the Challenges of Covid-19
Nation, 24 May 2021
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Co-operatives, Hon Peter Munya, EGH Read more »
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Kenya:
UK Has Unique Chance to Save Kenyan Tea Farmers
Nation, 23 May 2021
Under British colonial rule, many Kenyans were evicted from their lands to make room for tea plantations, many of which are still owned by multinational corporations. The tea bond… Read more »
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Tea picking (file photo).