Kenyan tea growers took home about Ksh1.6 billion from a recent session of the Mombasa Tea Auction, East Africa's main trading floor for black tea. Forty-seven local and international buyers bought roughly 6.5 million kilos in total, and they were willing to pay up for premium grades — particularly teas grown east of the Rift Valley.
According to the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA), most factories in the Mt Kenya region cleared Ksh387 per kilo, with Michimikuru Factory topping the table at over Ksh444. The standout origin, though, was Rwanda: its teas averaged $3.22 per kilo, comfortably ahead of Kenya's $2.36 average.
Factories managed by KTDA sold 2.8 million kilos for Ksh1.04 billion, up on the previous week. KTDA leadership put tighter supply down to bush pruning carried out to improve leaf quality — and the auction results suggest buyers are rewarding that focus on careful plucking.
Source: Sacco Review