A tea production academy that focuses primarily on the tea value chain has been launched as a way of not only enhancing productivity of the crop but also increasing earnings from it.
Lipton Innovation and Technology Academy inside Kabianga University in Kericho County is a product of a partnership between the university and Lipton Teas and Infusions.
Speaking during the launch at State House Nairobi yesterday, President William Ruto stated that the pioneering initiative will position Kenya as a global hub for training top-quality tea professionals. He said it will also facilitate innovation throughout the tea value chain, as well as help in technology transfer.
According to Ruto, the academy will also facilitate the up-skilling of existing tea farmers, thereby driving the transformation of the tea industry to deliver maximum benefits for households, the value chain and the national economy.
He thanked Lipton and Kabianga University, together with the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) for the visionary partnership.
“This collaboration is explicitly aimed at promoting sustainable and responsible practices in the tea industry and developing Kenya as a global model in sustainable tea sourcing. We are therefore all aligned in respect of this commitment to make Kenya’s tea value chain competitive in terms of quality as well as conformity with the highest social and environmental standards,” said Ruto.
He called upon more stakeholders, including the State Departments for Vocational and Technical Education, Higher Education, Agriculture, the Commission for University Education (CUE), county governments, the Tea Board of Kenya, KTDA, and the Tea Research Institute (TRI), to collaborate in making the academy a global centre of excellence for training and research to transform the tea industry and make it globally competitive.
Ruto emphasized the need to train youth, especially those employed in the tea industry, in order to equip them with skills and knowledge on optimal tea husbandry practices and value-added processing.
He said quality training involving deliberate investment in research and training resources is essential, while robust partnerships with organizations in the local and international, public and private sectors are indispensable in facilitating the transfer of necessary knowledge and skills within the tea industry.
Also present was Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu, Lipton Tea CEO Nathalie Roos, and some Members of Parliament.
By Education News reporter
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