The Kenya Union of Small-scale Tea Owners (KUSSTO) has urged the management of Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) to ensure that agriculture extension officers visit farmers in their farms.
Speaking to us on Wednesday at Kisii town the KUSSTO members accused the management of introducing the unfair program on tea farmers.
Led by Richard Nyatiro, who is their secretary, they said that unlike other days where the agriculture extension officers used to visit farmers and guide them on how to plant or pluck tea.
Nowadays things are worse as the management wants farmers to pay for the services without the extension officers visiting them on their farms.
“As the union which is mandated to help small-scale farmers we are unhappy about the management more so when they want farmers to pay a fee in favor of getting extension officers' service," said Nyatiro.
In addition, the chairman of the union Omao Okang'i challenged the management to make sure that the officers visit farmers to teach them on how to maintain their farms.
“KTDA has been warning farmers to pluck good tea leaves but unfortunately, they are the ones who have failed through their extension agriculture officers who are in office instead of visiting farmers,” added Okang'i.