Kenya’s tea exports to Sudan has taken a massive hit in the second quarter of the year following the ongoing conflict in the country.
Shipments of the commodity to the country have dropped by over half and the trend is expected to worsen in the coming months should the conflict between the Sudanese rivals persist.
Sudan is Kenya’s sixth major tea importer after Pakistan, Egypt, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Russia.
Kenya's tea stakeholders convened for a two-day tea reforms conference held in the tea-rich Rift Valley region to discuss the challenges ailing the sector.
In his address, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua acknowledged that upheavals in major export markets like Russia and Pakistan had made an impact in tea sales.
He however added that tea export had posted some positive results overall.
The Kenya Tea Board has warned that farmers' earnings will likely decrease as a result of the ongoing conflict in Sudan - currently in its second month.
The country has now placed its hope on local consumption to boost sales of the commodity.
