By Ongaga Ongaga
Small scale tea farmers are seeking a parliamentary investigation into disparities in earnings across tea-growing regions.
Petitioners are questioning whether existing pricing and payment systems adequately protect smallholder farmers.
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In a petition to the National Assembly, the farmers cite differences in payments between tea factories in Murang’a County, where the highest reported rate in Zone 2 is Sh49 per kilogram, compared with Sh31 in Zone 3.
The petitioners argue that farmers operating under comparable conditions could receive significantly different returns depending on their location, the factory receiving their tea and the financial and operational circumstances of the factory.
They want Parliament to establish the causes of the disparities and determine whether the differences are justified by factors such as tea quality, market prices, production costs and factory management.
Struggle with rising production costs
The petitioners warn that lower returns could make it difficult for farmers to meet the costs of labour, fertiliser, farm maintenance, transport and other agricultural inputs.
They say the situation threatens the sustainability of tea farming and the livelihoods of households that depend on the crop.
The farmers are also concerned about what they describe as inadequate disclosure of the factors used to calculate tea prices, monthly payments, deductions, loans and annual bonuses.
Without access to this information, they argue, farmers may struggle to verify their earnings or challenge payments they consider unfair.
The petitioners want the Ministry responsible for agriculture, the Tea Board of Kenya, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and individual tea factory companies to explain the disparities and outline measures being taken to address them.
Transparent pricing framework
The farmers are not necessarily demanding identical prices for every kilogram of tea, regardless of quality, market conditions or production costs.
Instead, they want what they describe in the petition as a “fair, transparent, objectively justified and accountable pricing framework” that prevents arbitrary disparities and ensures reasonable returns for farmers.
They have asked the National Assembly to investigate variations in tea prices and earnings across the country, including differences between eastern and western tea-growing zones.
The petition also seeks disclosure of the criteria and formulas used to determine payments, deductions and annual bonuses.
Parliament is being asked to establish how much factors such as tea quality, auction prices, factory management, operating costs, outstanding loans and marketing arrangements contribute to differences in farmers’ earnings.
The petitioners further want minimum reporting requirements for tea factories covering tea sales, factory expenses, statutory and contractual deductions, loan obligations and the calculation of annual bonuses.
MPs asked to review laws
The petition calls for stronger regulatory oversight and, where necessary, amendments to existing laws to promote fair remuneration, transparency and accountability.
It also proposes measures to reduce unjustified differences in earnings by improving factory efficiency, cutting avoidable costs, strengthening governance and enhancing smallholder farmers’ bargaining position in foreign markets.
Other proposed interventions include farmer education, improved access to fertiliser and other farm inputs, extension services, better processing facilities and improved marketing arrangements, particularly in lower-performing regions.
The petitioners want relevant State agencies and sector institutions to report on the measures taken to address unjustified differences in earnings and establish mechanisms to monitor progress.
They cite Articles 10, 43 and 46 of the Constitution, which address national values and principles of governance, economic and social rights, and consumer protection, respectively.
The petitioners say they have not received a satisfactory and comprehensive resolution of their concerns and are seeking the National Assembly’s intervention through its oversight and legislative mandates.
They maintain that the matter is of public importance because of its implications for farmers’ economic welfare, agricultural productivity, rural livelihoods and the long-term sustainability of Kenya’s tea industry.
