| Introduction |
Kenya Tea Development Agency Limited (KTDA Ltd) was incorporated in June 2000 as a private company under Cap 486 of the Laws of Kenya becoming one of the largest private teas management Agency. The Agency was previously a parastatal (Kenya Tea Development Authority) that was formed in 1964 through a Legal Notice No. 42 of 1964 and took over the functions of the then Special Crops Development Authority (SCDA) to promote and foster the growing and development of tea growing among the indigenous tea farmers.
| Capabilities of KTDA Ltd |
Extension Services • Land preparation by the growers The various factories affiliated to the Agency have directly employed qualified extension staff to oversee and co-ordinate this essential stage of tea production. The Agency also operates an annual fertilizer credit scheme that provides fertilizer to the farmers on credit and at reasonable prices. Currently, 65,000 metric tons of fertilizer are provided annually making it the largest single private fertilizer credit programme to farmers in Kenya. Estate Management. Tea processing. Marketing and Selling Accounting and Financing Information Technology
KTDA Ltd is a market leader in the Kenyan tea industry. This has been enabled by diverse experience in the various fields of tea production, processing and marketing. The Agency can provide consultancy expertise in the following areas: -
The Agency has successfully undertaken:
• Planting to the required specifications
• Weeding
• Fertilizer application
• Tipping
• Pruning
• Proper plucking methods
• Infilling and overall crop husbandly
KTDA Ltd. manages Kangaita, Kagochi and Michimikuru tea estates among other smaller units. These estates achieve some of the highest production levels in the country.
Green Leaf Collection.
To enable streamline tea processing, the Agency coordinates logistics of green leaf collection from the field to the factories through fleets of purpose built leaf carriers.
Currently, there are 53 operational tea-processing factories and four more are under construction. This will bring to a total of 57 factories with an annual installed processing capacity of 780 million kgs green leaf. The factories are spread in all the tea-growing areas of Kenya. Besides serving the small-scale tea growers, these factories also process leaf from the Nyayo Tea Zone Development Corporation estates. The factories under the management of KTDA are known the world over for production of high quality black CTC teas.
The Agency handles the entire tea marketing for all the smallholder tea factory companies. The gross annual turn over is about US $ 320 million.
The Agency sources for external loan capital for expansion of existing factories and construction of new tea factory projects and co-ordinates repayment. It also receives and invests tea sales proceeds on behalf of the factories, makes payments to growers and performs Accounting and Internal Audit services for the Tea Factory Companies.
The Agency provides IT related services and also holds custody of data, information and statistical reports, communication and related activities.
