Elizabeth Njeri, the manager of Gatanga Industries, explains how purple tea is processed in GatangaPlayers in the tea value-chain have been urged to participate in the international Tea Expo slated for October this year.
The expo to be held at KICC from October 28 to 31, will have the attendance of investors from China and other tea consuming countries.
Agriculture ministry’s Directorate of research and innovation David Ojigo said the expo is a result of a bilateral agreement signed between Kenya and China in April this year.
The trade agreement was signed when President William Ruto made a five-day visit to the Asian country during which he held talks with multiple leaders and signed multiple co-operation agreements.
The visit yielded investment deals worth about $1 million (Sh130 million), including infrastructural commitments that included extension of the Standard Gauge Railway, construction of dual highways and by-passes, hospital upgrades and expansion of vocational training.
“The bilateral agreement sought to enhance trade between the two countries and China committed to import more premium Kenyan products including tea, avocados, macadamia and coffee among others,” Ojigo said.
Ojigo who spoke while leading a team of officials from China and local companies, the Tea Board of Kenya and the Kenyan National Chamber of Commerce in a field visit to tea factories in Murang’a, noted that in preparation for the expo, a team will be going round the counties identifying products that can be marketed in China to enhance returns for farmers.
He said the government’s objective is to move the country away from traditional markets and that other sectors targeted for development include beef, dairy and oil crops.
“We are here to support a conducive environment that allows public and private sectors, including foreign investors, to collaborate for a better economy. This is why we are exploring the potential existing in Kenya for the new niche’ market created by the agreement.”
He added that technical teams are now being dispatched to implement what the government has adopted at the policy level, expressing confidence that similar expos will be organised targeting other sectors.
Flacko Wang, an official from Hongxzuy Sparkle International, an exhibitions company based in China, said, tea companies from China have been invited to the expo.
“We are here to visit tea farms and factories ahead of the international tea exhibition. We are seeking opportunities between China and Kenya on tea.”
“We have seen some collaboration opportunities in the tea factories as they have embraced the tea value chain from picking to packing and I’m sure with new Chinese technology, they will be more productive with more efficient machines,” Wang added.
Elizabeth Njeri, the manager of Gatanga Industries, a private tea processing company in Gatura, Gatanga, explains how tea is processed to a team of government officials and Chinese investor.He noted that China is the largest tea consumer in the
world, presenting a huge potential for local tea to have an expanded market.
Wang said his company will continue partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Tea Board of Kenya, saying Kenyans can benefit from advanced Chinese technology in an arrangement that benefits both countries.
Richard Ndungu, the chairperson of Kenya-China Trade and Investments Promotion Initiative under the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce, said the department was formed last month to promote local products in China.
The trade agreement, he said, will be beneficial to Kenyan farmers and those engaged in agricultural value-chains as China has managed to advance its technology to make processing easy.
He emphasised the need for each county to front a product that can be promoted to the Chinese market with a population of over 1.4 billion people.
“We want Chinese investors to come and partner with our people so we can create more jobs and provide more returns. That’s why we are taking officials from this Chinese company round the counties so they can identify opportunities available as they invite others for the expo,” he said.
Ndung’u appealed to local exporters to ensure they participate in the expo saying that so far, over 70 Chinese companies have confirmed their attendance.
“Its only when they attend that they can get exposure and learn more on how they can benefit from the trade agreement and access the Chinese market, including the certifications required. The Chinese market is ready to absorb tea, coffee, beef, macadamia and avocado fruits among others,” he said.
George Shum from Agri Africa Exhibitions Company said the expo is being organised in partnership with Hongxzuy Sparkle International, the Ministry of Agriculture, TBK, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce, Kenya Airways and various trade missions and embassies.
The theme of the expo will be, ‘Improving agricultural activities in Africa through innovation and market access’.
“We welcome Mt Kenya residents to engage in the expo that will bring together many countries across the globe so we can showcase the potential we have in Kenya and witness various technologies that will be brought on board especially from Chinese and Israel among others.”
Instant Analysis
The expo is a result of a bilateral agreement signed between Kenya and China in April this year allowing local products to access the vast Chinese market. A team will be going round the counties identifying products that can be marketed in China to enhance returns for farmers. Local exporters have been urged to ensure they participate in the expo with over 70 Chinese companies confirming their attendance.
