PS defends KTDA over unsold tea claims

 

 Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA)

Agriculture Prinvipal Secretary Dr. Paul Ronoh has defended Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) over claims of millions of Kilograms of tea which are yet to be sold in its Mombasa warehouses.

Ronoh said a total of 91 million Kgs of tea was pending unsold when they took over the government and as at now they are only five million kgs which remains unsold at the warehouses.

The PS said the pending stock is normal and in the next one and a half months all the pending stock will have been sold, assuring tea farmers that all is well.

The response from the PS comes after claims that the pending stock of unsold tea were piling up in the warehouses resulting from the government’s reserve price drive.

Ronoh was speaking at Toror Tea Factory in Kericho County accompanied by officials from the state department of agriculture, KTDA and tea Board officials, where they also toured Litein, Kapkatet and Kapkoros Tea Factories to check on the challenges facing the factories so that they can address as a government.

Following the election of John Chebochok as director of Toror Tea Factory representing Ainamoi Zone, which affected the sale of their tea, the PS said they have now settled the issue as a ministry, calling on the buyers to now resume buying from the factory.

He said the ministry upholds the rule of law, integrity and good values.

Chebochok was exposed in a BBC expose’ titled ‘Sex for work’.

By KNA