London, (The Southern African Times) – Kenya’s tea exports rose 18.9 percent in the first quarter of this year as compared to a similar period in 2020, according to the data released by the Tea Directorate.
The East African nation exported 153.2 million kilograms of tea in the first three months of the year, up from 128.8 million in the same period in 2020. Kenya’s export destinations averaged 50, with Pakistan being the top market accounting for 40 percent of the total shipments.
Other key destinations were Egypt, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Yemen, Sudan, Kazakhstan, Iran and China.
During the quarter, however, Kenya’s cumulative tea production declined due to erratic weather characterized by low rainfall in growing areas in Rift Valley and parts of western Kenya, said the agency.
Production stood at 141 million kilograms, against 159 million recorded in a similar period in 2020.
The directorate warned that with the weather pattern set to remain erratic for the rest of the year, Kenya’s overall tea production would fluctuate in 2021.
