Kenya's tea production expands in March

File photo shows farmers pick purple tea leaves at a tea garden near Nairobi, capital of Kenya, June 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Baishun)

Kenya's tea exports hit 44.28 million kilograms in March, the agriculture sector regulator said, adding that tea production in March reached 55.73 million kilograms against 26.46 million kilograms during the corresponding month last year.

NAIROBI, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's tea exports hit 44.28 million kilograms in March, the agriculture sector regulator said on Monday.

Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) said in a statement that Kenyan tea was shipped to 46 export destinations compared to 43 markets in March 2019.

"Pakistan was the leading export destination for Kenyan tea, having imported 14.27 million kilograms, accounting for 32 percent of the total export volume," AFA said.

Tea is Kenya's second leading foreign exchange earner after horticulture. Tea exports hit about 113.6 billion shillings (about 1.1 billion U.S. dollars) in 2019, according to an annual economic survey published by the government last week.

The agriculture authority noted that other key export destinations for Kenyan tea included Egypt, Britain, Russia, and Poland.

A farmer picks tea leaves at a tea garden in Nairobi, Kenya, Aug. 4, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Yan)

The top ten export destinations, most of which are traditional markets for Kenyan tea, accounted for 86 percent of Kenya's tea export volume.

AFA said the total export volume for the first three months of 2020 was 128.87 million kilograms, compared to 137.21 million kilograms recorded for the same period last year.

AFA added that tea production in March reached 55.73 million kilograms against 26.46 million kilograms during the corresponding month last year.

"Higher production was largely attributed to the onset of the long rain season characterized by high precipitation and sunny intervals that were experienced across the tea growing region areas in the west and east of the rift regions," AFA said.