Tea processing is the method in which the leaves from the tea plant Camellia sinensis are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing tea. The categories of tea are distinguished by the processing they undergo. In its most general form, tea processing involves different manners and degrees of oxidation of the leaves, stopping the oxidation, forming the tea and drying it. The innate flavor of the dried tea leaves is determined by the type of cultivar of the tea bush, the quality of the plucked tea leaves, and the manner and quality of the production processing they undergo. After processing, a tea may be blended with other teas or mixed with flavourants to alter the flavor of the final tea. List of KTDA Tea Factories in Nyamira County
This is a List of KTDA Tea Factories in Nyamira County
Sanganyi Tea Factory
Sanganyi Tea Factory is situated in Nyaramba Shopping Centre, Ekerenyo Sub-county of Nyamira County along the Kericho – Kisii highway. The Factory is 317 Kms from Nairobi through Mai Mahiu- Narok Road, and 330 Kms through Naivasha- Nakuru- Kericho road. The factory is 37 Kms from Kisii town.
Sanganyi Tea Factory was commissioned in 1981 with a processing capacity of 10M kgs of green leaf per annum. The factory has been expanded over time to cope with increasing crop levels following increase in acreage under tea coupled with better crop husbandry. Currently the factory has a processing capacity of 15,000,000 Kgs of green tea leaf per year. The factory is owned by over 19,000 small scale tea growers.
The factory catchment area is divided into six electoral areas for purposes of governance as follows;-Nyaramba, Ekerenyo, Nyabara ibere, Mokomoni, Nyamusi, Itibo. For equitable representation, each of these areas has one slot in the board of the company, which is nominated by growers in a free exercise. There are in total about 19,750 growers.
It grows a variety of tea clones e.g. BB35, 6/8, 3 1/8, TN/14/3, SFS 150, S1510, 303/577 and other mixed clones. It has 2 community based projects i.e.
Sanganyi Tea Factory as a responsible corporate company has undertaken various community projects. So far, the company has undertaken a tree planting project where it has partnered with public institutions to plant indigenous trees. The company has also been involved in health projects in the community. In partnership with KTDA Foundation, Sanganyi awards secondary education scholarships to poor and needy students from among its growers. We now have 3 students under this programme.
It connects with one major highway i.e. Kisii –Kericho highway. Four feeder roads serve the factory catchment, i.e. Itibo – Nyaramba, Nyamusi – Ikonge, kenyenya – Kebirigo, and Mokomoni – Kiabonyoru roads.
Climatic conditions are good with moderate warm temperatures and well distributed rains through out the year, having moderate humidity with, red loam acidic soils.
Sanganyi Tea Factory Company Ltd is ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System) and ISO 22000:2005 (Food safety management) certified. It’s also Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) certified.
Contacts:
Email: info@sanganyi.ktdateas.com
Nyansiongo Tea Factory
Nyansiongo Tea Factory is situated in Borabu District, Nyanza Province. The distance from Nairobi is 275Kms through Maai Mahiu- Narok Road, and 328 Kms through Naivasha- Nakuru- Kericho road. The factory is 36 Kms from Kisii town.
It connects with one major highway i.e Kisii – Sotik highway. Four feeder roads serve the factory catchment i.e. – Kijauri – Manga, Nyansiongo – Isoge, Metamaywa – Kebirigo, and Nyansiongo- Omoyo roads.
The factory was built in 1973 when it was also incorporated as a company. It was commissioned to process black orthodox tea in 1974. In 1980, the factory changed to black CTC tea processing which it is producing to-date. The factory has been expanded over time to cope with increasing crop levels following increase in acreage under tea coupled by better crop husbandry. Currently the factory has a processing capacity of 15,000,000 Kgs of green tea leaf per year. The factory is owned by over 10,750 small scale tea growers.
It grows a variety of tea clones e.g. BB35, 6/8, 3 1/8, TN/14/3, SFS 150, S1510, 303/577 and other mixed clones.
So far, the company has undertaken a tree planting project where it has partnered with public institutions to plant indigenous trees. Also the company has been involved in health projects in the community. In partnership with KTDA Foundation, Nyansiongo awards secondary education scholarships to needy students from among its catchment area.
The factory is built on a fairly hilly place: Simbaut hill, Riamathayo hill and Rianyariki hill. Rivers in the vicinity include – Kijauri and Riamokogoti. Mosiabano dam is a water mass just next to the factory which also acts as a source of water for the factory and surrounding community. Nyansiongo factory in partnership with the community has been involved in conservation of this dam and the ecosystem around it.
Climatic conditions are good with moderate warm temperatures well distributed rains through out the year, having moderate humidity with, red loam acidic soils.
Contacts:
Email: info@nyasiongo.ktdateas.com
Kebirigo Tea Factory
Kebirigo Tea Factory is located in Kebirigo Sub-location, Bonyamatuta Masaba Location, Nyamira Division, of Nyamira District, and 36kms from Kisii town.
The factory serves the West Mugirango, North Mugirango and West Kitutu constituencies and was commissioned in 1971 to manufacture C.T.C black tea with an annual installed processing capacity of 8,000,000 kgs of green leaf. To date the capacity has been enhanced and is currently at 15,000,000 kgs annually. Plans are underway to have the capacity enhanced through modernization to cater for improved tea production.
Kebirigo catchment area has a total of 12,652 registered growers with a total of 1368.09 HA under tea of 12,541,062 tea bushes covering 48 buying centers. The catchment has a potential for more tea planting and production.
The factory is located in Kebirigo sub-location, Bonyamatuta Masaba location, Nyamira division, West Mugirango constituency, Nyamira District. The distance from Nairobi is 350Km. The longitude and Latitude is between 1200m – 1800m above sea level and approximately 130 km from the equator and 36km from Kisii town.
Clones of Tea grown: Tea Stamps and clones 6/8, 31/8, BB35, TN14/3 303/ 577, S15/10.
The nearest natural features are the Kisii highlands.
Types of Soils include Red volcanic, Clay loams on hill tops and black cotton soils at valley bottoms.
Rainfall received are Long rains in March – June and Short Rains in September – November.
Contacts:
Postal Address: P.O. Box 82, Kebirigo
Telephone: +254020-2342940
Email: fum@kebirigo.ktdateas.com / info@kebirigo.ktdateas.com
Gianchore Tea Factory
Gianchore Tea Factory Co. Ltd is one of the KTDA managed factories. It is situated in Timi Sub-location, Keera Location, Nyamaiya Division in Nyamira District. The factory is located between Nyamira and Kisii counties.
Gianchore lies on 0.6° South of Equator and 34.8° East longitudes. It is 417km North West of Nairobi city and 23kms North West of Kisii Town. 4 kms off Nyamira- Kisii road via Nyankanda market and 6 kms off Kisii-Nyamira road via Nyabioto market.
It originated from Sanganyi, Tombe and Kebirigo tea factories. It was constructed in 2001 and was commissioned for operations in March 2004. Its designed capacity is ten million kilos of Green Leaf per year mainly from small scale tea farmers from the surrounding Gusii community. Currently it has 13,135 growers with a total number of 14,700,245 tea bushes which occupy a total area of 1638.42 Hectares. The popular clones in the area are 31/8, 6/8 and others are TN 14/3, 12/2 and BB35.
The factory plays a key role in the maintenance of the feeder roads which is big benefit to the community. These feeder roads connect to the two main highways, to the Eastern side of the factory, there is Kericho-Ikonge-Kisii highway while on the western side there is Kisii–Nyamira–Kisumu highway.
Gianchore Tea Factory is in Kisii Highlands with a warm and wet climatic condition, with an average annual rainfall ranging from1500mm to2500mm. The rain pattern comes in two seasons with long rains received between March and June while short rains come between October and December. The temperature ranges between 18 to 23 degree Celsius. The Factory stands at an altitude of about 2000 meters above sea level west of the Great Rift Valley with deep loamy volcanic type of soil which is quite suitable for growing tea and even other crops.
‘’Gianchore’’ in the local language means “war zone” but this has been turned into a very productive area and a source of income to over ten thousand farmers and other stake-holders.
Gianchore is best known for production high quality and safe tea, Processing Black CTC Teas, High Quality BPI, PFI, PD, DI and Dust and Fannings One. We are in the process of procuring Othordox machinery with a view of producing Othordox specialty teas.
The factory is certified on both ISO FSMS, QMS, and also Rainforest having demonstrated compliance.
Contacts:
Email: info@gianchore.ktdateas.com / fum@gianchore.ktdateas.com;
Telephone: 0202342941
Tombe Tea Factory
Tombe Tea Factory was commissioned in 1982 to manufacture black C.T.C. tea with an annual installed processing capacity of 8 million Kgs green leaf. To date the capacity has been enhanced and is currently at 15 million Kgs annually. Processing capacity has been enhanced through modernization to cater for the improved green leaf production.
Currently, the factory is serving 24,096 small scale growers. Natural black tea with no additives / chemicals. The mode of tea processing in the factory is C.T.C. (Cut, Tear and Curl), which realizes four primary grades and three secondary grades namely: Primary grades include ;Broken Pekoe (BP1), Pekoe Fanning 1 (PF1), Pekoe Dust (PD) and Dust Secondary grades: Fanning 1 (F1) , Dust (D) and Broken Mixed Fanning (BMF)
The tea processed at Tombe factory is marketed through the following channels: Mombasa Auction 82.73%, Direct Sales Over Seas 11.48%, Direct Sales Local 1.61%, Factory Door Sales 1.49%, KETEPA 2.68%.
Tombe Tea Factory is located in Tombe Market, Bonyamondo sub-location, Manga divison, Manga District in Nyamira County. It is some 370 Kms from Nairobi. It is accessed through Kisii Magombo road. It is between coordinates 34° 52.511’E, 0° 39.316’s at an altitude of 2017 meters above sea level.
Contacts:
Postal Address: P.O. Box 1910-40200 Kisii
Telephone: 0202342935
Email: info@tombe.ktdateas.com
