The County Government of Kirinyaga is constructing four new tea-buying centers to help farmers reduce post-harvest losses for freshly picked tea leaves in Inooi and Kerugoya wards.
The new centres will serve about 800 smallholder tea farmers in Kerugoya Ward and approximately 1000 farmers in Inooi Ward. Two of the new tea-buying centres, Mubethu and Icere, located in Inooi Ward, are nearing completion, while the other two, Githunguri and Kimuri in Kerugoya Ward, are in the initial stages of construction.
Tea-buying centers serve as the first point of collection, where freshly harvested tea leaves are delivered, weighed and recorded before being transported to factories for processing.
Kirinyaga Governor, Anne Waiguru, said the County has continued to support farmers by strengthening agricultural value chains and providing extension services, aimed at improving production and household incomes.
“We identified all our value chains, and it was important to support our farmers with extension services, which have been a major boost. Farmers have increased production, and the money they are getting now is more than what they had previously,” Waiguru said.
County Executive Committee Member (CEC) for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Dr. John Gachara said tea remains one of Kirinyaga’s strategic crops, supporting livelihoods and contributing significantly to the county’s economy.
Farmers had for years faced challenges arising from dilapidated tea-buying centers and the long distances they were forced to travel to deliver their produce, with some relying on boda bodas, which increased costs of production.
“This programme of improving tea-buying centers is critical because in some areas there have been no centers at all.
Farmers had therefore been forced to travel long distances, often using boda bodas, which increased the cost of production,” he said.
Gachara said tea farmers earned more than Sh7.6 billion in the last financial year, underscoring the need for continued investment in infrastructure that supports the sector.
“In the last financial year, farmers benefited from over Sh7.6 billion. We have supported them in various ways, including providing subsidised fertiliser and introducing new tea varieties in collaboration with the Tea Research Institute at Kangaita,” said Gachara.
Member of the County Assembly (MCA) for Inooi Ward, Fredrick Maina, said the investment would address challenges such as walking long distances, exposure of tea leaves to rain and inadequate space to hold the produce before it is collected and transported to factories.
“Our farmers were unable to raise enough money to construct the centres, so we allocated funds for this purpose. The new facilities will ensure that farmers have a proper place to deliver and store their tea leaves as they wait for collection and transportation to the factories,” said Maina.
At Mubethu Tea-Buying Centre, farmers said the new facility had brought tea collection services closer to their homes, reducing the time, cost and energy spent transporting their produce.
David Wanjohi, Secretary of Mubethu Tea-Buying Centre, said farmers had purchased land for the facility but lacked the resources to construct it until they sought assistance from the County Government.
He said the center had eased the burden of carrying heavy baskets of tea leaves over long distances and made it easier for farmers to deliver their produce when collection vehicles arrive, noting the facility would protect harvested tea leaves from rain and scorching sun, thus reducing the risk of losses and deterioration before collection and transportation to the factory.
“Before this center, our tea leaves were exposed to rain and scorching sun. Now, all the tea can be stored inside the center, protecting the commodity from bad weather thus preventing losses,” he said.
Nancy Muthoni, a farmer at Mubethu Tea-Buying Centre, said the facility had particularly eased the burden on women who previously carried heavy baskets of tea leaves over long distances.
She noted farmers had attempted to raise money among themselves to construct a tea-buying center but were unable to mobilize sufficient resources. At Icere Tea-Buying Centre, farmers also welcomed the new facility, saying it had significantly reduced the distance they travelled to deliver their freshly picked leaves.
Peter Mugaa, Secretary of Icere Tea-Buying Centre, said farmers previously transported their produce to Mubethu Tea-Buying Centre, about three kilometres away, increasing the time and cost involved in delivering their produce.
He said the new facility would enable farmers to save on transport costs and redirect the money to other household needs. “Economically, this has saved us because the money we would have spent on transporting our tea leaves can now be used for other important needs, including paying school fees,” said Mugaa.
By Mutai Kipng’etich
