BY MAINA WARURU
Christmas has come early for tea farmers in Kenya after the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) released the highest ever pay-out to growers .

Farmers are now laughing all the way to bank as the after the agency last week posted the cash to banks for onward transmission to over 30,000 small scale farmers who market their produce through the it.

Farmers used to frugal spending have thrown caution to the winds-at least for now, as they engage in all manner of consumerism, impulse buying, waste, generosity and merry-making .

Millions of shilling are being sunk into luxuries excess drinking and partying since mid-last week as evidenced in trading centres across central Kenya.

Businesses across the region are booming as normally broke peasants buy things they have only fancied in the past, while others are paying debts owed to shopkeepers, schools and other creditors.

The Ksh 36.billion and the highest despite low production of tea this and last year is also attracting all manner of criminals to the region not to mention “women of the night’ who are now shifting base from big towns, to centres in central Kenya and rift valley highlands the other the producing area Kenya with hope of making a kill.

As markets team with thousands and as bars fill to the brim with beer thirsty customers many farmers are losing hard-earned cash to conmen and twilight women whop frisk them after taking one too many.

But not all farmers are burning their money in luxuries and wanton spending as many are building new houses, paying creditors, saving for school fees in January, while a lot others clothing their families.

“ I plan to use this money to connect electricity to my house and also upgrade my dairy herd by buying high yielding Fresian breed “ said John Muri a farmer in Githambo area of central Kenya.

Muri who was paid Ksh 100,000 and run a carwash business the capital Nairobi said he would be moving his 12 year daughter to a boarding school, from her current public school in January using part of the money .

“ Unlike most of the farmers who solely rely on tea for their upkeep I have a side income and as such I’m not as excited by this payment though welcome” he said.

The excitement aside, tea growing zones in Kenya are listed as the most developed economically, have least poverty levels, with nearly all people living in permanent and semi-permanent houses and with nearly all children attending high school.

And that is exactly what is worrying Harrison Kiambati a farmer in Othaya in the same region. With college going children all his money is going to fees in January.

“For it is all about education, my two children will be entering their final year in college next year and I must save for the purpose’.

This year’s second / final payment commonly known as bonus was the highest in years totaling to Ksh 36.3billon an increase of 28% from amount payed-out in 2008.

This is despite a drop in production from 287-256 million Kgs of green tea produced last year. KTDA has attributed improved payments averaging Ksh 35 a kilo to shortage of tea in world market and a weak shilling.

The drop in production is baled on drought that ravaged the country since late last year, but even with the tough weather the country remained the leading exporter of black tea in the world.
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