Buy Embu; Build Embu, Mbarire Instructs All Offices to Consume Locally Produced Tea

Embu

Wedesday, July 26, 2023

KNA by Samuel Waititu

Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire has instructed all offices across the county to consume locally produced tea from the three factories of Mungania, Rukuriri and Kathangariri to promote and expand the market.

Mbarire said despite the factories producing the best tea in the country, local consumption was still low hence the need to incentivize them by being main consumers of their products.

Speaking on Monday when she met with MPs from the tea growing zones and Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) to strategize on how to improve the sector in the county, Governor Mbarire regretted that most of the tea produced in the county was consumed outside instead of the reverse.

She directed Chief Offices from all the departments to effect the move immediately to boost local consumption as well as create more market and revenue for the factories and farmers.

The county boss further said they will set aside two stalls at the Embu Town bus park to facilitate sale of the tea from the three factories to tap more markets.

At the same time, she said alongside other elected leaders will labor to see to it that the cost of production was brought down through mechanisms such as ensuring the factories were equipped with the capacity to produce their own power whose net effect will be increasing returns to the farmers.

“We are looking into how we can assist the factories generate hydropower from the Rupingazi River which will greatly lower the cost of production,” she said.

Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji echoed her sentiments, saying only a paltry one percent of tea produced in the county was consumed locally, adding that he will champion efforts to capture the niche market.

His Runyenjes counterpart Muchangi Karemba said the biggest percentage of farmers in Embu County depend on tea farming as the main source of income and added it is necessary to do what it takes to improve the trade.

KTDA National Chairman Enos Njeru said the efforts being made by the county government are set to benefit farmers bigtime and make tea farming a lucrative venture.

He promised to keep up with innovation in the sector including value addition to secure more markets to boost farmers’ earnings.

Courtesy ; K. N. A