U.S.A. – South Carolina – Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has urged nations and investors to package tea in Kenya for export, arguing that it is less expensive and ensures a higher value for both buyers and producers.
He declared that the government had eliminated taxes on agricultural product packaging materials while addressing the North America Tea Conference in South Carolina.
The CS noted that the move enables Kenyan exporters to package tea at the source in accordance with global market standards, resulting in direct-to-shelf products that guarantee freshness, traceability, and higher farmer profits.
“By packaging at origin, we eliminate unnecessary costs, improve competitiveness, and strengthen Kenya’s position in the global tea market,” he said.
He was accompanied by Tea Board of Kenya CEO Willy Mutai, KTDA Holdings Limited Chairperson Geoffrey Kirundi and CEO Wilson Muthaura, together with the Kenyan ambassador to the US, David Kerich.
Additionally, Kagwe emphasised Kenya’s dominance in the world’s tea production, pointing out that the nation produced 598.47 million kg in 2024—a 4.95% increase from the year before.
Favourable weather, fertiliser subsidies, and increased processing capacity were the main drivers of the expansion.
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He also mentioned Kenya’s diversification into specialised and Orthodox teas, pointing out that purple tea, created at the Tea Research Institute, is unique among tea varieties worldwide.
Purple Orthodox tea is three to four times more expensive than black tea and is praised for its antioxidant content and health advantages.
“Kenya’s innovation in tea not only secures better earnings for farmers but also places us ahead in meeting shifting global consumer demands,” said CS Kagwe.
The CS emphasised the cultural and environmental significance of tea, characterising it as a crop that supports biodiversity, prevents soil erosion, and sequesters carbon, as well as a means of subsistence.
CS Kagwe emphasised that quality would always find a market and urged the American market to embrace Kenyan black, green, and purple teas.
This week, CS Kagwe kicked off a high-level mission in the United States aimed at opening new markets for Kenyan agricultural products.
Hosted by Kenya’s Ambassador to the U.S., David Kerich, CS Kagwe held a meeting in South Carolina with Milo’s Tea Company, the country’s leading manufacturer of iced tea with a $200 million investment footprint.
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The meeting was attended by the firm’s Commodity Manager, Chris Kidenda.
The CS was accompanied by Phylis Kandie, Advisor to the President on Commodities Market Development, the KTDA Holdings Limited Chairperson, Geoffrey Kirundi and CEO Wilson Muthaura, the CEO of Ketepa Ltd, and Andrew Soi, who is the Chairperson Kipchimchim group of companies.
The delegation is pursuing avenues to raise Kenya’s tea exports to the U.S., which currently account for just 2% of shipments.
“We want to facilitate and create an enabling environment for the private sector to take the lead in expanding tea exports to the U.S.,” said CS Kagwe.
Also present at the meeting was Gillcrist, Chairman of the South Carolina African American Chamber of Commerce, alongside chamber members who pledged support for deepening trade partnerships with Kenya.
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