By MKT Correspondent
Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr. Andrew Karanja, has called for unanimity among the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holding Limited after the election of Board Chairman and Vice Chairman.
Enos Njeru was re-elected as Chairman and Eric Chepkwony as Vice Chairman for a three-year term.
Dr. Karanja assured the board of government support as the tea industry is one of the backbones of Kenya’s economy, supporting the livelihood of over five million people and earning the country Sh2 billion on foreign exchange.
He expressed the Ministry’s interest in turning challenges in the sector into opportunities and working with the board to find better and higher markets for Kenyan tea.
Njeru noted that the industry has faced many challenges, but through resilience and collective efforts, significant strides have been made.
In his second term, he will focus on the implementation of the Tea Act and Management Agreement, instilling a tea consumption culture through increasing local demand, and improving tea quality to enhance Kenyan tea’s competitiveness in the global market.
The Chairman promised to reduce unsold tea and broaden markets by improving the financial health of KTDA and its affiliated factories. He vowed to set minimum standards of quality for tea acceptable by KTDA to ensure they sell without challenges.
The government was lauded for the establishment of common user facilities and the exemption of VAT on packaging.
Dr. Karanja emphasised the importance of unity and collaboration between KTDA stakeholders for the benefit of farmers and extended an olive branch to those who were not successful in the elections.
John Kamau