Kenya stands as the third-largest tea producer globally, a fact often overshadowed in the world of loose-leaf tea enthusiasts. Despite its prominence, Kenyan tea rarely captures the spotlight among those who appreciate fine, loose-leaf teas.
Unbeknownst to many, a significant portion (nearly 25%) of Eastern Rift Valley tea finds its way into popular blends like Irish Breakfast. This article aims to shed light on the fascinating world of tea plantations in Kenya, exploring its history, cultivation methods, and the unique characteristics of Kenyan tea leaves.
A Brief History of Tea in Kenya
In 1903, Kenyan agriculture experienced a revolution with the introduction of tea. It was quickly realized that the Kenyan climate was perfect for producing tea and bountiful in all seasons. As interest in tea grew amongst people globally, commercial developers began to establish large farms in 1924.
Colonial farmers remained the primary growers of tea until 1954, when African growers were allowed to plant tea (Tea Board of Kenya). While the production landscape has grown and shifted over the last 100 years, the harvesting process has remained the same.
Tea was first introduced in Kenya in 1903 by GWL Caine and was planted in present-day Limuru. Commercialisation of tea started in 1924 by Malcolm Fyers Bell, who was sent out by Brooke Bonds to start the first commercial estates. Since then the nation has become a major producer of black tea.
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The Kiambethu Tea Farm: A Legacy of Tea Cultivation
The Kiambethu Tea Farm is a 5-generation, family-owned tea farm that started in 1918. First owned by Arnold B. McDonell, he originally planted the tea on a few acres of land, where he found conditions for growing the plant were just right (Nicholls).
Over the years, the farm has consolidated from 350 acres to simply two due to the physical demand of the tea industry. After swearing to her mother that she would not run the farm, Fiona Vernon has been doing tours of the farm and forest areas, tea tastings, and lunch for guests since 1998.
The Art of Tea Picking
While the production landscape has grown and shifted over the last 100 years, the harvesting process has remained the same. Tea picking is a craft as pickers know which part of the plant produces different flavors and types of tea.
Tea in Kenya is picked every two weeks and grows year-round in the warm weather and plentiful rain. With the two acres of land that the family has retained, the family hires six pickers who come for one day every two weeks to pick from the tea bushes. This tea is carefully picked to avoid oxidation until it is sent to the factory later that day.
Though this work is traditionally done by hand (and still is practiced that way in most of the farms here) due to the delicate nature of tea leaves. Fiona explained to us that machines have been developed which can pick tea, but that it is less precise and results in poorer quality teas.
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In recent years, there have been attempts to introduce machinery to harvest the tea and trim bushes. Even on the larger plantations, most of the tea is harvested by hand with the Kenyan Tea Board promoting the two leaves and a bud standard for plucking.
Labor and Unions in the Kenyan Tea Industry
Unions are an important piece for this workforce - at the beginning of the season, the union negotiates the pay for pickers (who are paid per weight for the tea they collect) and even those who work outside the union because of the competition the union offers. The process is similar for factory weight prices that are paid to the farm owners, the unions and factory negotiate annually, with a bonus given at the end of the year based on auction rates.
These factories are staffed 24/7 due to the sensitive nature of tea, which oxidizes quickly and is heat dried to immobilize the enzymes before it is sorted into grades. The grades reflect the quality of the tea based on how fine it is, how many stems are present, or large leaves.
The Economic Significance of Tea in Kenya
Arable land in Kenya is essential to the economy as it is a means of income and livelihood for many families, especially those who grow and harvest tea. This is also extremely important when considering the large economic impact that tea farming has on Kenyans.
Many Kenyans, whether tea pickers or tea farm owners, rely on the crop for their livelihood. The tea auction and port in Mombasa is also a large part of the Kenyan economy. Tea from countries around Africa, including Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and others are sent to Mombasa to be sold and exported.
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It is vital that all parties are paid equitably for their work and educated on overcoming challenges in agriculture. Climate change and subsequent changing weather patterns are important components when thinking about the vitality and sustainability of the tea industry.
Earnings from tea farming can be volatile, and though there is a union to address these issues, not all farms are a part of the union. Climate change and fluctuating prices also influence financial stability and overall well-being of farmers and tea pickers.
The Unique Qualities of Kenyan Tea
Kenya's location on the equator means that, unlike other countries, tea is not seasonal. Kenya tea farming can happen year-round thanks to long, sunny days. This is part of the reason why Kenya is the biggest exporter of tea- tea farmers in Kenya can grow tea all year.Kenya's tea-growing areas have perfect weather. They have tropical weather and rich, red soil from volcanoes. There's also plenty of rain, usually between 1200 mm and 1400 mm each year. Most of Kenya's tea farms are in the Kenyan Highlands. These areas are on both sides of the Great Rift Valley.
Tea is planted on more than 157,720 hectares of land. This produces about 345,817 metric tonnes of tea. Over 325,533 metric tonnes are sent to other countries. Tea is grown in two main ways. There are small family farms called smallholdings or shambas.
Farmers grow special types of tea plants that produce a lot of tea. These plants are strong and grow well in Kenya. The Tea Research Foundation of Kenya (TRFK) has developed over 49 different kinds of tea plants. No harmful chemicals are used on the tea plants.
Most of the tea grown in Kenya is processed using a method called crush, tear, curl. This method makes tea that is good for mixing with other teas. This kind of tea is popular in places like India, Britain, and North America. CTC tea has a consistent taste. It has a strong, bold "tea" flavor.
Tea from Kenya and other African countries is sold through a now automated system public auction in Mombasa.
The Grades of Kenyan Tea
When tea is processed, it's sorted into different types, called grades:
- BP1: This type is called Broken Pekoe 1. It makes up about 12-14% of all tea produced. It has the largest pieces.
- PF1: This is Pekoe Fanning 1. It makes up the biggest part of production, about 58-60%. It has small pieces of black tea and tiny fibers. PF1 is good for tea bags because it brews quickly.
- PD: This is Pekoe Dust. It makes up 10-12% of the tea produced. It's often black and finer than PF1.
- Dust: This is made of tiny bits of broken leaves.
- Dust1: These are the smallest particles of tea.
| Grade | Description | Percentage of Production |
|---|---|---|
| BP1 | Broken Pekoe 1, largest pieces | 12-14% |
| PF1 | Pekoe Fanning 1, small pieces and fibers | 58-60% |
| PD | Pekoe Dust, finer than PF1 | 10-12% |
| Dust | Tiny bits of broken leaves | N/A |
| Dust1 | Smallest particles of tea | N/A |
Kenyan Tea: A Global Perspective
While China is the largest producer of tea in the entire world, Kenya is the largest exporter of Black tea in the world.
There are two main areas in Kenya that produce teas located on the east and west of the Great Rift Valley. The Great Rift Valley is a large trench first described by English explorer, John Walter Gregory, that stretches from Syria down to Mozambique. The rift in Kenya is now called the Gregory rift and lies along the edge of two tectonic plates that were once very active volcanic regions.
Kenya tea farming is an integral part of the economy and Kenya is the largest producer of African tea.
Currently the KTDA has 66 tea factories serving over 500,000 small-scale farmers cultivating over 100,000 ha. The KTDA farmers produce over 60% of all tea in Kenya.
Kenya, therefore, is exporting more tea than anywhere else in the world, because it is still agricultural. Unlike almost any other plant, good tea has to be picked by hand. Any machine would ruin the leaves. Therefore, the next time you drink a cup of tea, feel thankful to the person who carefully picked every leaf, rolled them, and tended them while they dried.
If you haven’t tried tea from this part of the world, you are missing out on something special. I had the pleasure of attending a World Origin Tea Tasting at the World Tea Expo East in Philadelphia and Kenya was represented.
I have enjoyed numerous cups of Tinderet and Millima, and the odd cup of Kamba purple tea over the years and always asked myself why I do not drink more of this. As it turns out, one of the most popular teas I sell is Irish Breakfast, which is composed of nearly 25% Eastern Rift Valley tea.
The Lifeblood of Kenya's Economy | Story of Kenya's Booming Tea Industry
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