CS Mithika Linturi Flags Kenyan Tea To Australia
By: Waithaka Kariuki
CS Mithika Linturi has flagged off the first ever consignment of Kenyan value-added tea to Australia at the Mombasa Port.
The 2.68MT tea consignment, is valued at USD29,667.6. It is being shipped to Australia under the Kenyan Brand “Akina”, a product of Empire Teas, EPZ.
The tea is expected to fetch an average price of USD 11 per kilo of made tea in Australia. The CS noted that the opening up of the Australian market for Kenya value added teas with a Kenyan brand name is a significant development for the Kenyan tea industry.
Kenyan tea he said is only known in a few markets globally as it is largely used for blending with teas from other tea producing countries and packed for distribution to other export markets under other brand identities.
The initiative is a bold step towards the realization of H.E President William Samoei Ruto directive to increase the volumes of value-added Kenyan tea exports from the current 1% to 50% by 2027.
This milestone, will not only expand the market base for Kenyan tea but also shield the Kenyan tea industry from overreliance on a few traditional markets which have a higher affinity for bulk teas and which get easily destabilized by economic and political shocks
The CS also toured the Empire Teas EPZ packaging facility at Jomvu, Mombasa. Present were the Kenya Ports Authority MD Rashid Salim, Chairperson TeaboardKenya Chai Dr. David Kiarie Mburu, Acting CEO Tea Board of Kenya Peris Mudida, CEO Empire Teas EPZ Thushara De Silva and other key tea industry stakeholders.
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