Tea farmers in Nandi County have rejected a Sh12.50 per kilogramme bonus announced by Chebut/Kaptumo Tea Factory, terming the amount too low to cover production costs.

The farmers have given the government seven days to intervene, failure to which they have threatened to boycott delivery of green leaf to factories.

They want the Ministry of Agriculture and the Tea Board of Kenya to intervene and are demanding the removal of directors overseeing the factory.

The dispute has also been compounded by claims that the factory sold 186 acres of land at Eroche in Tinderet Sub-County without consulting farmers.

The growers are demanding investigations into the alleged sale and a comprehensive audit of the factory’s operations to establish how its affairs are being managed.

Speaking at the factory in Emgwen Sub-County on Tuesday, farmer Richard Rono said growers were disappointed after the bonus dropped from Sh17.50 per kilogramme last year to Sh12.50 this year.

“The bonus we have received this year has nothing good to write home about. Last year we received Sh17.50 and this year it has gone down to Sh12.50,” Rono said.

He said farmers had taken fertiliser on credit to maintain their farms and were now struggling to repay the loans because of declining returns.

“We have taken fertiliser on loan and worked tirelessly to produce high-quality tea. How are we going to repay these debts with this kind of bonus?” he asked.

The farmers are demanding at least Sh28 per kilogramme, saying the payment should reflect the cost and effort involved in tea production.

“We must get payment that is commensurate to the effort we put on our farms,” Rono said.

Another farmer, Sammy Biwott, said growers were shocked by the decline despite the sacrifices they had made to sustain production.

He accused the factory directors of proceeding with the sale of the Eroche land despite opposition from farmers.

“We told them not to sell but they went ahead without our approval. What does this mean? A lot is happening behind our backs,” Biwott said.

He appealed to Head of Public Service Felix Koskei to intervene, saying the alleged sale raised serious questions that required investigation.

“If they can sell 186 acres, it means there is more than meets the eye,” he said.

Biwott said declining returns were pushing some farmers to abandon tea farming, which has been a major source of livelihood in the area for years.

“Farmers are now abandoning tea farming, which has been our mainstay for years,” he said.

Peter Kipkemboi called for an audit of the factory to establish how its affairs were being managed and provide farmers with clarity on its operations.

“We want an audit of this factory so that we understand what is happening. A lot is hidden,” Kipkemboi said.

The farmers said they would continue pressing for better returns and greater accountability from the factory’s management.

The dispute comes amid a decline in global tea prices, which farmers attributed partly to market disruptions arising from the Iran-Israel-US conflict.

However, the growers also pointed to higher bonuses projected by the country’s top-paying tea factory, which is expected to pay up to Sh50 per kilogramme.

They said the wide disparity had heightened concerns over their earnings and raised questions about the factors determining bonuses paid to growers.

by Kosuri Valarie