Kenya's growers upbeat on surging demand from Lipton
Small-scale tea growers in Kenya are in a bullish mood following increased worldwide demand for Lipton teas, one of the largest buyers of Kenyan tea. According to local industry representatives, Lipton has seen demand for black tea rise by 10% last year. Growers in Nyeri county are therefore looking to expand plantation areas and build new tea factories. Some are ditching dairy production, which has almost immediate returns, in favor of tea crops that have been fetching high prices for some time now. In response, many factories have reopened tea nurseries to supply enough planting material. The industry is also looking to sustain this growth by boosting profitability, sustainability and agricultural practices thanks to farmer field schools and a new hydropower plant.