Nyamira locates ‘sister tea’ county in China   

By Nyang’au Araka

It is almost impossible for one to delink Nyamira County from rolling hills, lush green valleys separated by rivers and springs, fertile soils and reliable rainfall.

It now turns out that Nyamira’s topography is almost that same as that of Songyang County located in Zhejiang Province-China, and leaders in the two counties have lately been talking.

There are more desirable similarities and contrasts between Nyamira and Songyang in as much as the two regions exist on two continents that are far apart.

Located slightly over 300km west of the capital Nairobi, Nyamira is one of the most agriculturally active counties in Kenya.

It is also one of the most densely populated counties in the country, with an average of 675 people occupying a square kilometer, according to the Kenya Population and Housing Census, 2019.

Owing to this pressure, families have subdivided land for inheritance purposes even as they take advantage of the ideal natural resources to sustain themselves.

One of the main economic identities for residents is small-scale tea farming, which is the lifeblood that sustains families, albeit with a struggle due to challenges bedeviling the tea sector.

There are six fully established tea factories in the county, namely: Kebirigo, Gianchore, Nyaramba, Nyansiongo, Nyankoba, Tombe, and Matunwa, which is a satellite of Nyansiongo.

Ironically, small-scale tea growers perpetually cry of being ensnared in poverty, with earnings from the crop not being in match with the rising cost of living.

“The factories averagely produce 29 million kilogrammes of processed tea but lack a stable market,” says Alice Manoti, Nyamira’s County Executive Committee Member in charge of Agriculture.

This continues to negatively affect farmers’ earnings.

 “This year, I expected good money in form of bonus but we were only paid Ksh.30 per kilo,” says Richard Okero, a small-scale tea grower.

When Okero went to collect his pay, he was shocked to learn that there were so many deductions on the pay slip, affecting the total amount he took home.

“I’m now thinking of taking a loan before January because my children must go to school and I don’t have fees,” Okero says.

Okero, 52, is among those who inherited a few tea bushes from their parents.

Although he has managed to increase the tea trees, the venture is not paying as it paid in the past.

“During bonus at the end of the year, our parents usually afforded to build iron-roofed houses, buy household goods, improve our wardrobe and pay fees in the following year,” recalls Okero.

Okero’s story may sound bizarre to his counterparts in Songyang, which has cut a niche as a major tea producer and exporter.

Compared to Nyamira and by extension Kenya, Songyang is ahead in issues such as planting high yielding varieties, use of extension officers and mechanization;

Farmers there have also automated picking in as much as their yield is affected by seasons; winter, spring and autumn.

In Nyamira, most farmers handpick their leaves.  

“Over the last three decades, Songyang has emerged as China’s largest green tea trading hub,” writes Bilguun Munkhjargal in www.wildchina.com.

“Traders and tea enthusiasts from all over China gather here during the spring months to buy and trade green tea at the county’s Southern Zhejiang Tea Market, where it’s not uncommon for 60 metric tons (132,000 pounds) of tea to trade hands in a single day.”  

Songyang’s serene beauty, rich tea culture, and warm communal atmosphere, coupled with research and innovation has made the region leap well from both the local and international markets.

It is for these reasons that Songyang has entered into an agreement with Nyamira County, aimed at increasing production and marketing prospects for local tea growers.

Governor Amos Nyaribo and Songyang County Minister for Publicity, Li Wei inked the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Nyamira recently.

Among other things, the two entities agreed to promote exchanges and mutual learning in the eco-friendly cultivation of tea and the standardization of processing technologies.

They will also share advanced experience and technological achievements.

Further, they agreed to foster the interaction of tea cultures, share information on the market situation, technological innovations, and other relevant information concerning tea.

They will also enhance mutual understanding and cooperation, and promote bilateral trade in tea for mutual benefits.  

“Nyamira, just like Songyang grows tea and an effective exchange on production, processing and marketing will boost farmers’ earnings,” Nyaribo said.

 “The local produce will be manufactured to international standards through enhanced value addition.”

Nyaribo said the collaboration will culminate into establishment of a tea value addition industry at the industrial park (that is currently under construction at Sironga).

“This is a broader prospect for the upcoming Nyamira Integrated Agro-Industrial Park whose completion is projected within the next one year,” the governor said.

He indicated that the Chinese were willing to partner with Nyamira in improving the quality of local tea and help in setting up the value addition industry at the park.

On his part, Wei said his government was ready to create an economically viable exchange programme that will benefit the two counties economically.

“Our counties are keen on capitalizing on our capabilities in farming and industrialisation and the prospects will be beneficial for farmers both here and Songyang,” he said.

KPC learnt that a Nyamira delegation had been to Songyang, before they swapped roles and played host of the Chinese on the day of formally inking the deal.

The Chinese delegation visited and interacted with stakeholders of selected tea factories including Matunwa and Nyansiongo.