Kenya's tea production for the first half of the year fell 16 percent year on year due to hot and dry weather and poorly distributed rainfall in tea growing areas, sending exports lower, the tea board said on Wednesday. Tea output fell to 178.4 million kg compared with the same period in the previous year, with the east of the Rift Valley more affected than other growing areas, the Tea Board of Kenya said in a statement.
Tea exports from the east African country, which is the leading exporter of black tea in the world, fell to 211.7 million kg from 216.9 million kg. Pakistan was the leading buyer of the commodity, accounting for 19 percent of the total export volume.
However, there was a drop in tea exports to Egypt - Kenya's biggest buyer of tea last year - due to political unrest in the country. "Lower production was largely attributed to hot and dry weather conditions experienced during the first quarter of the year as well as depressed and poorly distributed rainfall pattern experienced in most tea growing areas during the second quarter," Sicily Kariuki, managing of the tea board.
During the first half of the year, the volume of Kenya tea sold through the tea auction held in the port city of Mombasa stood at 128.8 million kg, 16 percent lower than during the same period last year, the tea board said. Kariuki told Reuters in an interview on June 17 that Kenya is likely to match last year's record-setting earnings from tea exports, due to stable prices and a weaker currency against the dollar, even though output is set to fall.
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