Ruto courts China to boost tea exports
In a bid to enhance agricultural exports, President Ruto met with Chinese tea investors on May 13, securing a commitment from Benny Tea Industries to source all its orthodox tea from Kenya and invest in local processing factories. This move aims to significantly boost Kenyan tea sales to China and increase farmer incomes.
President William Ruto is actively seeking to expand Kenya's agricultural export markets, with a particular focus on the lucrative Chinese market for tea. During a high-level State House meeting on May 13, President Ruto engaged with influential Chinese tea investors, culminating in agreements aimed at significantly boosting Kenyan tea sales to China.
A major outcome of the meeting was a commitment from Benny Tea Industries, recognized as one of China’s largest tea companies, to source its entire requirement of orthodox tea exclusively from Kenya. Furthermore, Benny Tea Industries pledged substantial investment in developing modern tea processing factories strategically located within Kenya's prime tea-growing counties. This investment is expected to enhance value addition and create employment locally.
President Ruto reiterated that his administration places a high priority on “prioritising the growth, packaging, and export” of specialty agricultural products. Beyond tea, this focus extends to other key crops such as maize, coffee, and sugar, all part of a broader strategy to elevate farmers' incomes and enhance foreign exchange earnings. Kenya has set ambitious targets to double its exports of tea, coffee, avocados, and macadamia nuts to China as bilateral trade relations between the two nations continue to strengthen and expand.
