NAIROBI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's tea production declined 13.55 percent in the first two months of 2025, affected by unusually dry weather conditions, the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) said on Monday.
Willy Mutai, chief executive officer of the TBK, said in a statement released in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that production for the two months stood at 98.9 million kg, down from 114.4 million kg recorded in the same period of 2024.
The most affected month was February, where production stood at 44 million kg, down 10.8 million kg as compared to output for February 2024.
"The dry weather had a significant impact on tea production in February, with output falling by 21 percent in the east of the Rift and 18.6 percent in the west," Mutai said, citing the country's top two growers of the cash crop.
The Climate Prediction and Applications Center of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) forecasted that Kenya would receive below-average rains during the March to May rainy season, which is expected to affect tea production this year.
Tea is Kenya's top foreign exchange earner, alongside tourism and horticulture. ■