Kenya
Kenya is a country in East Africa, situated along the Equator. Its features include mountains, rift valleys and beaches as well as plains populated by wildlife. Kenya's capital, Nairobi, is a hub of business and communication in the region, while Mombasa is a historic port city. The country has a diverse climate, with hot and humid coasts, cold and wet highlands and low plains. Temperatures range from a maximum of 37°C to 0°C atop Mt. Kenya.[1]
Kenya has an agricultural economy, with the sector accounting for 24% of the GDP and 70% of export earnings. It is also famous for its production of high-quality tea. Tea industry in Kenya is within the scope of the Ministry of Agriculture, with the chief supervising organization being the Tea Board of Kenya and the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya.[1] The industry has two large sectors: plantations and small-scale producers, with the latter consisting of over 500,000 growers managed by the Kenya Tea Development Agency Ltd.[2]
The primary tea-growing regions of Kenya are located in the highland regions east and west of the Great Rift Valley and astride the Equator, within altitudes of 1500 to 2700 metres above sea level. These regions include the areas around Mt. Kenya, the Aberdares, the Nyambene Hills in Central Kenya and the Mau escarpment as well as the Kericho Highlands, the Nandi and Kisii Highlands and the Cherangani Hills. These territories have tropical red volcanic soils and 1200–1400 millimetres of rainfall per annum alternating with long sunny days. Production is all-year round, with the primary high crop seasons occurring between March and June and October and December, during the wet season. Kenyan tea is grown without the use of agrochemicals, as the environment deters pests and prevents disease.[2]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Facts About Kenya", The Tea Board of Kenya. Retrieved on September 16, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Tea Growing and Production", The Tea Board of Kenya. Retrieved on September 16, 2011.