The implementation of the new tea regulations take effect immediately, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has said.
Munya on Monday said the Tea Industry Regulations are now ready for implementation by the Agriculture and Food Authority.
He spoke during the announcement of the implementation road map for the new regulations at Kilimo House.
Munya explained that the Crops (Tea Industry) Regulations 2020 came into force on May 22, "having gone through all the necessary processes, including stakeholder consultations and public participation".
The CS said the regulations will be followed by a new Tea Act before Parliament.
“My Ministry has since given all tea sector players sufficient time, of two months, to familiarise themselves with the new regulatory requirements and to create their own internal implementation capacity,” he said.
On January 14, President Uhuru Kenyatta gave directives to have tea reforms to help raise farmer’s earnings, and improve the tea value chain.
The directives were also intended to eliminate sector inefficiencies, improve transparency and enhance sector governance in the tea sector.
“The tea reforms will address all aspects of the sector, including the operations and mandate of the key players in the value chain such as the Kenya Tea Development Agency, tea buyers and brokerage as well as the entire tea auction system. This is to ensure tea farmers get fair and decent earnings for both their labour and investments,” Uhuru said.
Munya said the President directed the ministry to address corruption and exploitation of farmers and conflict of interest in the management of the value chain.
“The reform of the value chain is to increase revenues to farmers as opposed to middlemen and brokers, the problem of falling earnings for farmers and related issues of inefficiencies in the tea value chain, low tea prices, delayed payments, low initial payments or bonus and fluctuating net earnings to farmers,” he said.
The CS directed AFA to immediately undertake a technical inspection of the newly installed E-Auction system at the Mombasa Tea Auction to ensure it is operating consistently with best practices for commodity trading.
“The Mombasa Tea Auction will play a pivotal role in driving forward the reforms. The Auction will be the principal vehicle for market entry and for price discovery in the tea industry. We must ensure that the Auction is ready to play this role effectively and efficiently,” Munya said.
He said the government is committed to addressing the persistent problems that have bedevilled and undermined the sector and eroded small-holder incomes.
