The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has initiated a training programme for tea farmers in Kisii County on quality tea production and diversification in a bid to boost their income.
KTDA Chief Executive Sudi Matara said a total of 500 farmers in Nyamache Tea Catchment areas are set to benefit under the economic empowerment program that starts with the training.
“We have farmers’ field schools that have been going under training and we have over 1,000 farmers. We are going to select about 500 farmers who are going to be part of this programme for the next one and half years,” said the CEO.
Matara added that the training will stretch different value chains including poultry farming, beekeeping and mushroom farming.
Kisii County Agriculture Minister Esman Onsarigo said the training will benefit farmers by making the financial literacy to manage income from produce while urging the farmers to improve the quality of tea in order to attract more and better pay.
“Farmers can save for tomorrow so that they can use it to pay school fees, buy food for their families, and start other agricultural ventures, which will expand their income. KTDA has managed to train our farmers not to rely on tea alone,” said Onsarigo.
KTDA board members James Ombasa (Kisii region) and Eric Chepkwony (Bomet region) and Nyamache Tea factory chairman Abel Kenyoru asked farmers to improve the quality of tea in order to attract good revenue and encouraged them to continue with the training so that they can maximize benefits.
“Quality tea will fetch good returns for farmers. The tea reforms which were initiated by President Uhuru Kenyatta have also started bearing fruits,” said Chepkwony.
With the new management and reforms, earnings for farmers will increase.
