President William Ruto has stepped up efforts to secure new export markets for Kenya’s tea.
This is after a high-level meeting on Tuesday with Zhang Chaobin, Chairman of Fuzhou Benny Tea Industries—one of China’s top three tea companies.
The meeting, which took place in Beijing, aimed at opening greater access for Kenyan orthodox and specialty teas to the vast Chinese market.
Also in attendance were stakeholders from the Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and Kenya Tea Board, underlining a whole-of-sector approach to export expansion.
President Ruto reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enhancing the growth, packaging, and global competitiveness of Kenyan teas, particularly in value-added orthodox teas, which are gaining traction in Asia.
Chairman Zhang expressed strong interest in sourcing a large share of Benny Tea Industries’ annual orthodox tea requirements from Kenya, noting the country’s high-quality leaf and ideal production climate.
He further committed to investing in modern orthodox tea factories in selected tea-growing counties in Kenya to boost value addition locally.
This comes as Kenya pushes for increased bilateral trade with China, targeting not only tea but also key exports like coffee, avocado, and macadamia nuts.
The meeting was also attended by Ambassador Lynette Ndile, Kenya’s Deputy Head of Mission in China, and a delegation from Fujian Province.
