Farmers drawn from Tendere tea factory have been told to stop hawking their green tea to receive higher bonuses.
Addressing a number of farmers on Tuesday at Ogembo, Tendere tea factory field officer Joshua Matongo said that over the years the production of tea from the farmers in the area have been decreasing and he attributed it to the daily tea hawking that is on the rise.
The official claimed private companies from the area are encroaching on tea zones to buy green leaf directly from farmers, a move which is against Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Act.
“These companies are not really looking into your welfare and its high time you ensure that all your tea produce is sold to the factory directly,” he added.
He called upon the farmers to stop being money hungry at the expense of earning more during the bonus time.
“The private companies buy the tea as low as Sh15 per kilo but sell them to us at a cost of Sh30 of which see the farmer get loses,” he added.