The Tea Directorate in the Ministry of Agriculture has blocked a section of Kangema tea farmers from selling their produce to a private company.
The farmers from Mutunguru tea buying centre had signed a contract with Ngorongo Tea Factory in Kiambu county.
The Kenya Tea Development Agency has refused to buy their produce for more than a month for failing to sign the Green Leaf Supply Agreement.
The farmers claim Zone Four KTDA board member Francis Macharia incited the directorate to terminate their contract with Ngorongo so they adhere to KTDA rules.
“The letter we received said we cannot continue selling tea to Ngorongo because it is illegal for a factory to buy tea from more than 100 kilometres away,” said farmer John Gateru.
Gateru, the secretary of Arimi Self Help Group, said they formed the group last December to help them look for alternative market.
Gateru said their talks with KTDA on January 15 at Kanyenya-ini Tea Factory did not resolve the standoff.
He said farmers requested the KTDA to allow them to sell their extra tea to Ngorongo but the agency refused.
“KTDA only buys two leaves and a bud while Ngorongo allowed us to pick more leaves which gave us more returns. We want to sell the extra leaves to the private factory and soft leaves to KTDA,” Gateru said.
He said farmers will continue selling tea to brokers until negotiations with KTDA are concluded.
Tea Directorate technical services officer in Mt Kenya region Willy Mutai said the Tea Board only wrote to Ngorongo asking the factory’s management to consider signing a contract with individual farmers.
