Tea farmers from Nyansiongo Tea factory have challenged the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) to look for a better market that can help them earn more in bonuses.
Speaking on Thursday at Gesima ward, a section of Tea farmers led by vice chairman Nyakundi Matangi said that they are not happy with this year’s bonus as they expected to get more.
“We expected to get more in bonus but it is not enough. We urge our management to look for a better market so that we can get more,” said Matangi.
This comes after factories announced their pay to farmers whereby Nyasiongo factory farmers are going to get Sh19 per kilogram in this year’s bonus an increase of Sh4 from last year’s bonus.
Truphena Gesare is also a farmer who said that they expected the increase to be more than Sh10 since most of them depend on the crop.
“Tea is our main cash crop and a substitute of other food crops in this area so we expect to get more money to buy food crops,” said Gesare.
Tea farmers in Nyamira and Kisii counties for many years have been experiencing many challenges from the crop as they earn little from their harvest.