Kenya Prolonged Drought Lead to Tea Production Decrease

The prolonged drought that hit Kenya this year has caused a decrease in yields for tea farmers across the country. According to tea makers in the country, the tea leaf processing facilities only produces half the usual production capacity.

The drought has also lead to a decrease in the number of workers working in the farms and processing facilities. Farmers said that they are only able to employ half of the normal amount of tea pickers for this harvest season.

Experts said that the short tea supply may cause a price increase for Kenyan tea. On the other hand, Indian tea farmers and makers have taken advantage of this drought season to gain domination in the global tea market.

According to the Kenyan tea farmers, it would take 6 to 8 weeks for the plant to recover. This means that Kenya’s tea production may take a while before it gets back to normal.