Tea farmers in Meru County have opposed the introduction of plucking machines, saying the gadgets will affect the quality of green leaf and lead to reduced earnings.
A section of small scale farmers said plucking of tea using machines will reduce their earnings since the leaf would not be of the required standard and would thus rob them of the quality they have enjoyed for decades.
Payment to each factory for made tea sold at the Mombasa auction is based on quality, with those that produce top grades earning premium prices.
Currently, there are several companies that have descended in the region, carrying out demonstrations on farms on how to use the plucking machines…