Kenya’s tea production is likely to drop significantly within the next decade because of climate change, threatening the country’s foreign earnings from the crop.
A senior researcher at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization’s (KALRO) Tea Research Institute (TRI) Rhoda Ruto reckons that tea production will be affected by increased rain and temperature as a result of global warming.
“Much effect of the climate change on crops will be felt in Kenya’s tea sector as an increase in temperature beyond 23.5 degrees Celsius would significantly reduce yields of the cash crop.
Her assertions indicate that climate change has the potential to significantly affect small-scale farmers’ livelihood as a good number of them rely on the crop for income.
Extremely low temperatures also affect tea production with frosts, cutting yield per bush.
She however noted that climate change will enhance the suitability of tea production in areas where today the crop is not grown, especially the higher altitudes around Mount Kenya.
“However, many of these areas are protected and it is not advised that forests be cleared to cultivate tea, as was done with the Nyayo Tea Zones in the 1980s.”
Ruto said producers in major growing zones particularly in Bomet, Kisii, and Nyamira will need to adapt their farm management techniques to the new conditions.
“Producers here will need to carefully analyze the implications and implement adaptation and diversification strategies. Climate change not only brings bad news, but also opens up new opportunities. The producers that will stay in business will be those that are prepared for change and have the knowledge to adapt,” She added.
The scientist was making a presentation during a workshop for Science and Environment journalists on policy, legislation, market trends and environmental issues that impact the tea subsector. The seminar held in Kericho was organized by the Kenya Environment and Science Journalists Association (KENSJA) and Solidaridad-a Civil Society Group (SCSG) pushing for sustainable supply chain in the tea subsector.
According to a report compiled by scientists from the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) ,the land under tea will reduce by 42 per cent by 2050, creating excess capacity in tea factories dependent on the catchments.
Areas West of the Rift Valley particularly Nandi, Kericho, and Gucha will be the most affected according to the study titled Future Climate Scenarios for Kenya’s Tea Growing Areas by Dr. Peter Laderach, Dr. Audberto Quiroga, Dr. Jason Gordon, and Dr. Anton Eitzinger.
Ruto noted there was a need to increase Kenyan tea producer’s resilience to climate change, to secure their livelihoods and make them more environmentally and economically sustainable.
“We are now focused on training our tea farmers on the most appropriate adaptation techniques and working on alternative strategies including developing drought tolerant tea varieties. What is important is to increase adoption of developed adaptation strategies to close the gap between research and actual farm production.”
She told the 20 participants who included reporters from mainstream media houses, vernacular radio stations online publications and community radio stations that research geared towards climate change mitigation, and opportunities like carbon credit trading, should be prioritized.
KENSJA Chairman Duncan Mboya noted that the decision by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya to introduce new tea regulations, while noble, requires an effort from the Government, industry and civic education groups to sensitize tea farmers on their implementation.
He observed that due to lack of sufficient information, most farmers were not aware of the grounds behind their introduction, adding that a lot of time and emotions were being spent disputing the decision by the minister with the end result being opposition to what is essentially a rational action.
In the new reforms, the government set $2.43 (Ksh275) per kilogramme as the minimum price for all teas belonging to Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) to reverse the declining price trend of the commodity.
KTDA teas account for more than 60 percent of the total beverage offered for sale at the auction and the minimum price would have an impact on all other teas that are sold through this trading platform.
In the new Act, all teas are set to be sold through the Mombasa auction.
Mombasa auction trades KTDA teas and those from multinational companies as well. It also sells tea from 12 African countries.
Before the minimum price was set, the price per kilo of the beverage had declined to a low of $1.69 (Ksh191), the lowest to have been witnessed in a decade. However, with the introduction of the reserve price, prices climbed to a high of $2.59 (Ksh293) before closing the year at $2.39 (Ksh271).
According to the Tea Directorate, though the prices have been moving up and down at the auction, they have not dropped below $2 (Ksh226) in the weekly sales.
Mr. Mboya observed that court cases filed by various individuals and parties opposed to the new tea regulations are slowing down the full implementation of reforms in the industry.
The Chairman added :“To avoid such a scenario, it is important that the process of implementing new public policies be accompanied by robust sensitization of key constituencies. Farmers, marketers, consumers and the general public have to be brought on board this discussion.”
Mr. Mboya indicated that the Constitution underscores the importance of public participation and said for such participation to be meaningful it has to be based on access to information.
“This is the task that the process of implementing new tea reforms has to urgently prioritize. If we do not enlighten the stakeholders in the tea subsector on the benefits of these regulations, chances are that what is essentially good public policy will receive opposition from the public as a result of inadequate knowledge,” the chairman warned.
Anne Njuguna, the project officer at Solidaridad noted that while women are overwhelmingly represented in the tea production and the supply chain, the same cannot be said for their gains from the sector in general.
She said a myriad of barriers, including limited access to resources such as land, credit, inputs, information, and training, reinforce the historical patterns of female disempowerment.
“In the tea sub-sector women continue to provide much of the needed farm labour only for the proceeds to end up in the hands of their spouses who make decisions on the use of household incomes. This leaves many women reliant on their spouses,” Ms Njuguna stated.
The programs officer added that with the right mindset and attitude, women’s inclusion and empowerment is achievable even in environments where cultural stereotypes and gender norms are rife.
She however expressed optimism that incremental improvement continues to be witnessed in the agricultural sector, with farmers and agribusiness owners leading the way in building a world that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, more rewarding, and fulfilling for female agricultural workers.
“However, many more women remain on the sideline. There is much more work to do to bring about true gender equality. As we highlight the persistent challenges and at the same time celebrate progress in driving gender inclusion we must do so with a renewed commitment to challenge the gender gap, enabling women to stake their claim and succeed on their own terms,” stated Ms. Njuguna
In the reforms that the Ministry of Agriculture introduced to streamline the sector that has witnessed high numbers of cartels over the years, the ministry also moved to cut KTDA’s role in the tea export business.
The agency, through its subsidiary Chai Trading Limited Company, has been selling a portion of its tea directly to international buyers at an agreed price. However, in a new directive, the ministry outlawed direct sales overseas.
“All teas processed and manufactured in Kenya for the export market with the exception of orthodox and specialty teas shall be offered for sale exclusively at the tea auction floor,” reads part of the Tea Act, 2020.
“All tea factory limited companies shall register with the (Tea Board of Kenya) and the auction organizer to participate in the tea auction directly and not through management agents.”
Some multinational firms have moved to court to oppose the new regulations, arguing that the direct sale of tea to overseas clients by contract gave them financial flexibility.
The ministry also capped the management fee that KTDA levies on farmers-owned factories to two percent as opposed to the previous 2.5 percent, with the directive taking effect last November.
In what came as a boost to farmers, the government directed KTDA to pay farmers 50 percent of the total value of the green leaf that they have delivered to the factories with the remainder, normally referred to as bonus, to be paid within the financial year.
The agency had been paying farmers just a fraction of what they delivered at the factory as a monthly payment with the bulk of it remitted at the end of the financial year.
Related
