KTDA tea factories earn over Sh1 billion at Mombasa auction

Tea factories affiliated with KTDA sold 5,418,918 kilogrammes last week, earning Sh1,137,972,780 at the Mombasa Tea Auction.

The auction, held on 19th and 20th May, saw the following earnings from various tea factories: Mununga earned Sh26,747,490, Kimunye Sh19,767,600, Kathangariri Sh10,384,416, Kiegoi Sh21,260,800, Gathuthi Sh9,849,216, and Rukuriri Sh22,572,870.

Gacharage factories earned Sh26,498,304 from the auction of 94,976 kg, followed by Ngere Tea Factory, which sold 77,495 kg for Sh21,388,620.

Momul Factory, located in the western Rift, led with 129,540 kg sold for Sh26,037,540.

In the buyer's category, Global Tea bought 20,700 packets, LAB International purchased 17,320 packets, and KTDA-owned Chai Trading bought 13,740 packets, among others.

The buyers who took the least were Roitana and Tropical Crops, who bought 60 and 80 packets, respectively.

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The Mombasa Tea Auction sold 9,914,000 kg of tea sourced from the East African region and Malawi. A total of 55 local and international tea buyers participated.

According to a report from Tea Brokers East Africa Limited, last week Kenya auctioned 8,260,801 kg, Uganda 679,740 kg, Tanzania 182,608 kg, Rwanda 610,416 kg, and Malawi 118,452 kg.

KTDA Holdings Chairman Chege Kirundi said Kenya's tea continues to attract many buyers, with Pakistan purchasing 40 per cent of the production.

“Our mandate is to ensure quality production, which in turn fetches a better price,” said Kirundi.

Tea Board of Kenya CEO Willy Mutai stated that they are supporting the tea market by exploring new markets and ensuring sector regulations are followed.

“We have teams dispatched around the world to scout for emerging markets, with the support of the Embassies,” said Mr Mutai.

In the auction, the factories that sold the highest volumes included Singanyi (179,016 kg), Boito (139,056 kg), Momul (129,540 kg), and Kagwe (139,482 kg), among others.