The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) announced plans to explore export opportunities in the United States and the state of Georgia as part of a strategy to broaden Kenya’s tea market base.

Kisii’s Zone 11 representative on the KTDA board, Omweno Ombasa, linked recent instability in established markets to the need for new buyers, noting that the agency hopes stronger demand will lift future bonus payments.

Farmers, however, remain skeptical, with several growers saying the latest bonus figures do not cover rising costs for fertilizer, labour and transport.

Nyamache farmer Gesare Ombuna warned that without higher earnings, tea cultivation may become uneconomic, while other growers called for immediate improvements in green‑leaf prices rather than future market promises.

KTDA’s director highlighted that reduced green‑leaf deliveries to factories have lowered overall bonus pools, stressing that higher volumes are needed to spread processing costs and boost farmer payouts.

He also warned that unofficial sales of green leaf to factories outside KTDA’s management, such as Mara Tea Factory, could further erode earnings for farmers supplying KTDA‑run plants.

Bonus rates for the 2025/2026 season vary widely across Gusii factories, with Nyankoba Tea Factory offering Sh30 per kilogram, while Ogembo declared only Sh14 per kilogram.

Comparisons with the previous year show that some factories have improved payouts, yet the overall movement in bonuses remains uneven, reflecting differences in factory performance and leaf volumes.

KTDA maintains that sector reforms have already raised monthly payments and expanded marketing options, but it cautions that translating new export markets into higher farmer bonuses will depend on sustained production, efficient processing and consistent leaf deliveries.