Muthoni Gichohi, Ambassador-designate to China, remarked during a tour of the Nduti Tea Factory in Murang’a that while China is the world’s largest buyer and exporter of green tea, black tea consumption is increasing as well.
Gichohi, who was on a fact-finding expedition, noticed that black tea is gaining popularity and finding a market in China, despite being untraditional.
“I will engage private tea manufacturers to set up factories in Kenya, so as to produce tea for export that meets their standards,” she said,
The envoy stated that China is a very important and strategic partner to Kenya, and that the two countries have always collaborated on ICT to boost Kenya’s digital economy, and that the two countries will continue to collaborate in the development of regional transport on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as well as creating a market for Kenyan agricultural products.
Despite Kenya’s efforts to export avocados and aquatic products, she promised to work hard to expand the market for Kenyan tea, coffee, and other horticulture products.
Nyambura Kamau, the Ambassador-designate to Pakistan, accompanied her.
According to Kamau, Pakistan is Kenya’s largest tea importer, whereas Kenya is one of Pakistan’s largest rice importers.
She pointed out that this is insufficient because there are other additional opportunities for diversification and increased bilateral trade.
According to Kamau, Pakistan exported goods worth USD 249 million to Kenya last year, with rice accounting for USD 155 million and the rest being pharmaceuticals, textiles, and tractors. Tea, on the other hand, accounted for 95% of Kenya’s exports to Pakistan in 2021, totaling USD 502 million, with the rest being vegetables, leather, chemicals, and fish.
Due to rising consumption and the great flavor and quality of Kenyan tea, tea exports to Pakistan are expected to expand by 20% in 2022.
The two ambassador designations vowed to restore balance to bilateral trade, offering to assist Kenya in technology transfer in order to help the country achieve industrialisation and modernization.
Nancy Ndung’u, the Chairperson of the Nduti Tea Factory Board, noted that the tea growers had been instructed in good husbandry.
“The farmers now know how to pick the best quality tea from the farm, so as to help the factory to process good quality tea for export and earn better returns.” She said,
Murang’a County has already produced 38 million kg of tea, according to Githinji Mwangi, a KTDA Board member.
She went on to say that the KTDA has begun to promote sustainable agriculture, and that one of the primary products that will be introduced is avocado, which has a large demand.