Kisii farmers to be paid Sh2.5 billion in tea bonus
Tea farmers in Kisii County’s six factories in zone 11 are set to earn Sh2.5 billion bonus up from Sh2.4 billion last year, Board member, Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holdings Ombasa Omweno has said.
He said farmers affiliated to Nyamache/Itumbe tea factories will earn Sh30 per kilogram of processed tea, Ogembo/Eberege, Sh25 and Kiamokama/Rianyamwamu Sh24.70.
Omweno, who is Ogemb/Eberege Board chairman said last year, Nyamache/Itumbe farmers earned Sh20 bonus per kilogram, Ogembo/Eberege Sh19 while Kiamokama Rianyamwamu farmers earned Sh20.50.
“Our farmers will earn Sh2,593,020,319.66 this year up from Sh2,499,443,185.75, an increament of Sh93,577133.91,” Omweno (pictured) told People Daily in an interview yesterday.
Multinationals
He said 22.5 million kilograms of green leaf was delivered at Nyamache/Itumbe tea factories, Ogembo/Eberege 14.8 million and Kiamokama/Rianyamwamu 17.8 million compared to 22.9 million, 19.6 million and 20.1 million respectively last year.
The official said the drought and the delay in the releasing fertilizer affected production and lauded the Agency for increasing the farmers’ earnings.
“The total green leaf intake for the factories was 55.3 million kilograms this year compared to 62.7 kilograms last year, a deviation of Sh7.4 million kilograms,” Omweno said.
Some farmers, the chairman noted, delivered their green leaf to multinational agencies, which reduced the amount of leaves taken to KTDA factories.
