• Kenya pushes tea sector transformation with farmers at the centre as CS Mutahi Kagwe calls for value addition, new markets and stronger African trade at the 7th Africa Tea Convention.

Kenya Puts Farmers at the Heart of Tea Sector Transformation, Pushes Value Addition, New Markets and African Trade

Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming the tea industry into a more competitive, farmer centred and value driven sector, with CS Sen. Mutahi Kagwe calling for a fundamental shift in how Africa produces, markets and benefits from its tea.

Speaking at the opening of the 7th Africa Tea Convention 2026, he said the future of Kenya’s tea industry must begin with the farmer, noting that the majority of Kenyan tea is produced by small-scale farmers whose livelihoods depend on the crop.

“It all begins with the farmers,” the CS said, stressing that conversations around tea must ultimately answer a fundamental question: what does the farmer gain from the sale of tea?

He noted that millions of livelihoods, including those of people who do not directly grow tea, are connected to the sector, making the prosperity of tea-growing communities critical to the wider economy. From the pickers in the fields to the factory workers, transporters and traders, the tea value chain holds together a large section of Kenya’s rural economy, and any decision made at the top must be measured against what it delivers at the farm gate.

Kagwe calls for market diversification beyond traditional buyers

With more than 800 delegates from 26 tea-growing and consuming markets attending the three-day convention, CS Kagwe called for aggressive diversification of tea markets beyond traditional destinations.

He cited Pakistan as a leading business partner in Kenya’s tea trade, noting that the two countries have built a strong and reliable trading relationship over the years.

He also welcomed the recent decision by the Government of China to zero-rate duties on tea entering the Chinese market, describing China as a major market with significant potential for Kenyan tea in whatever form it is exported. The move, he said, opens a door that Kenyan producers and exporters should prepare to walk through without delay.

But the CS said accessing new markets alone will not be enough.

“It makes no sense to sell bulk tea to Europe and then follow the jobs to Europe that we ought to have created here,” CS Kagwe said, making the case for Africa to retain more value from its commodities through local processing, manufacturing and branding.

He called for stronger investment in value addition, new tea factories, modern machinery, technology and diversified tea varieties, alongside partnerships that enable farmers to work with processors to produce higher-quality and market-specific products.

The CS further urged farmers and investors to leverage the Government’s land commercialisation initiative to expand tea production, while strengthening partnerships across the value chain to unlock new investment and employment opportunities.

Value addition and the push to keep tea money in Africa

On continental trade, CS Kagwe called for renewed efforts to strengthen the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying Africa must remove barriers that prevent goods from moving efficiently across borders and build a larger continental market for African products, including tea.

He also urged countries to reconsider heavy tariffs and taxation on value-added agricultural products, arguing that value-added tea should be zero-rated to encourage processing, manufacturing, investment and job creation within Africa.

The CS said Kenya’s tea strategy must therefore move beyond simply producing more tea to producing smarter, processing more, building stronger African brands and ensuring greater value reaches the farmer. Producing more without processing more, he argued, only keeps the continent at the bottom of the value chain while others earn from the same crop.

His remarks come at a time when Kenya’s tea sector is searching for ways to raise farmer earnings, open new markets and reduce reliance on a few traditional buyers. The conversation at the convention reflected that urgency, with delegates drawn from across Africa and beyond.

The convention, hosted by the East Africa Tea Trade Association (EATTA), is being held alongside the 70th anniversary of the East African Tea Trade Auction. EATTA, whose membership spans 10 countries, hosts the world’s largest black CTC tea auction, accounting for approximately 32% of global tea exports.

CS Kagwe was accompanied by PS Dr Ronoh Paul, State Department for Agriculture; PS Regina Ombam, State Department for Trade; Tea Board Kenya CEO Willy Mutai; EATTA Chairman Robert Koech; EATTA CEO George Omuga; EATTA board members and other senior officials.

The message was clear: Africa must stop exporting its raw value and start exporting more value. And that transformation must begin with the farmer.

https://farmerstrend.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Kenya-Puts-Farmers-at-the-Heart-of-Tea-Sector-Transformation-Pushes-Value-Addition-New-Markets-and-African-Trade-1024x682.jpeghttps://farmerstrend.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Kenya-Puts-Farmers-at-the-Heart-of-Tea-Sector-Transformation-Pushes-Value-Addition-New-Markets-and-African-Trade-150x150.jpegFarmersTrendFarming NewsAfCFTA tea trade,Africa Tea Convention 2026,agricultural value addition,China tea market,East African Tea Trade Auction,EATTA,Kenya tea sector transformation,Kenyan farming news,Kenyan tea exports,Mutahi Kagwe tea,smallholder tea farmers Kenya,Tea Board Kenya,tea farming Kenya,tea markets Pakistan,tea processing Kenya,tea value addition KenyaKenya pushes tea sector transformation with farmers at the centre as CS Mutahi Kagwe calls for value addition, new markets and stronger African trade at the 7th Africa Tea Convention.Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming the tea industry into a more competitive, farmer centred and value driven...New Generation Culture in Agriculture