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Meru County launches tea cess committee

Tea  growing areas in Meru County are set to receive a boost after the launch of a tea cess committee.

Speaking at Heritage Hotel, Imenti South Sub County, the Meru Governor, Kiraitu Murungi pointed out that the committee  will comprise eight board members.

The governor said that the establishment of Cess committee will foresee each tea factory contribute Sh.4 million

annually that will be used to improve access roads connecting to the factories and tea buying centers.

He  noted that many tea growing zones are made inaccessible due to poor roads especially during the rainy seasons.

“Tea farmers have been incurring huge losses occasioned by poor road networks during heavy down pours,the

trucks that pick tea leaves from buying centers often get stuck in mud,” he  said, adding that by each factory

contributing some funds  will see to it that the roads are maintained.

The  event  was  graced  by  members of county  assemblies  from  the  tea  growing  areas, the  Regional Manager Robert Kirera,

The Board Director, Dr. Murithi Ringera and the managers of the tea factories.

He  said  the  cess  will cater  for  the construction of  the roads  along the tea  growing zones in the county  so as to

facilitate  ease  of delivery of the tea to the factories.

Meru  County  has  six factories  which include, Igembe, Michiimikuru, Imenti, Githongo, Kionyo and Kinoro which are managed by Kenya Tea Development Association (KTDA).

The  committee will be oversighted by the County Assembly under the caucus committee held by the Chairperson Dennis Kiogora.

Timothy Gitonga, a tea farmer from Kithirune lauded the move adding that roads connecting tea growing zones have for  a long time been neglected.

He  said that establishment of the committee will ensure that farmers deliver their produce faster hence save time and get better returns.

By  Elvis  Mugambi/Muguongo Judy

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