NEW TEA CLONES PROMISE FARMERS BETTER HARVEST
Written by Obwoge Joseph on June 21, 2023
By Whitney Akunga
Tea farmers in Kisii County have been urged to plant modern tea plant clones which produce great harvest compared to the old ones.
Speaking to farmers at Etora Tea buying Center, Dr. Kenyoru, the tea director and the Chairman of Itumbe and Nyamache Tea Factories assured farmers that tea leaves are one of the most profitable crops.
“Tea is the only crop in the whole country, which is associated with foreign exchange hence making farmers benefit economically,” he said.
As he promised tea farmers of a new tea clone which will be of a better harvest to farmers, he discouraged Tea farmers in Kisii County to from hawking tea leaves to multiple companies, saying it affects factories in the region.
“We laid nursery beds and you will receive new clone tea seedlings soon. They will be cheaper since the cost per seedling has been reduced from Ksh. 12 to Ksh. 5 per seedling. You will harvest 3kgs per plant in a year which is a better harvest compared to old clones producing half a kilogram per plant in a year,” he added.
Farmers are highly discouraged from the use of herbicides since they reduce the productivity of tea plants and the quality of the tealeaves after processing. Instead, manual extraction of weeds has been recommended.
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