Bomet tea farmers count losses as factory delays collection

Small-scale tea growers in Bomet county are counting losses after Tiraga tea factory delayed to collect green leaves.

The farmers from Singorwet and Ndaraweta zone have been forced to dispose of hundreds of kilogrammes of green leaves.

A spot check by Kenya News Agency found green leaf plucked more than one week ago wasting away in buying centres. 

Some farmers are selling their produce to private factories.

“This delay has seen us record minimal sales in the past four months. Some of us are selling our produce to private factories that are paying us poorly,” Benard Ngeno said.

“Tiraga factory collects tea once a week and that has left us confused. We have now opted to sell our tea to private factories which are aggressively collecting tea day and night.”

Earlier, irate farmers staged a protest at the factory seeking answers from the management.

They were however, by riot police using teargas. The officers said their protests were illegal.

The farmers accused the management of running down the factory.

“The rains have done us a favour and our farms are doing well but it is sad the factory is not collecting tea and not communicating to farmers on the way forward,” one farmer said.

Ngeno asked the Kenya Tea Development Agency to intervene.

“In times of crisis like this we expect the factory management to constantly communicate including sharing tea picking schedules to avoid tea going to waste both in the farms and buying centres but they have failed and KTDA regional and head office should intervene and help us solve this challenge,” Ngeno said.

Julie Kirui said casuals picking tea in her farms are going hungry because of the delays.

“I cannot pay my employees because the farm has not collected the produce,” she said.

The farmers condemned the police for using excessive force during their demonstrations.