Things at the Mombasa Tea Auction are shaky for Kenya as the quality of Rwanda’s coffee is seen to be shining brighter.
Rwanda’s coffee which is selling at premium rates is outshining Kenyan produce as international buyers prioritize quality.
The price of Rwanda’s coffee has continually been on the rise for the last 90 days creating concern in the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) outlets.
Rwanda ‘s coffee largest outlet attracted the highest bid with a kilogram going for 550 shillings compared to Kenya’s largest outlet, Githongo factory, whose bid sold for 428 shillings per kilogram.
“Since the grade of tea is the same across the region, that implies quality is what is creating the price difference,” an executive at the African Tea Brokers, Mr William Tindi, said adding that buyers could bid high or low depending on the quality of the produce.
Kenya, a leading tea exporter in the world, has since time immemorial attracted top prices which has had it accounting for over three quarters of the coffee bided at the Mombasa auction.
Coffee prices have been on a price declining state in the last three months despite high volumes of the produce raising concern on the declining quality levels that the effects it is bound to have on the industry.
Meanwhile, Rwanda seems to be taking full advantage of Kenya’s declining quality of produce and has worked to improve its quality hence outshining Kenya on its own game.
The lowest bid on the 6th August according to the auction data reveals Kiptagich tea factory in Nakuru, and Ngorongo tea factory in Kiambu attracted the lowest bid at 125 shillings and 137 shillings per kilogram respectively.
East Africa’s tea is traded at the Mombasa auction by the East African Tea Traders Association and is later shipped out to respective Countries.
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