Plateau signs MoU with Kenya on tea factory

The Plateau State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Kericho County in Kenya, to establish a tea processing factory in the state.

The MoU was signed by the Secretary to the Government of Plateau State, Prof. Danladi Atu and the County Secretary of Kericho in Kenya, Joes Bett on behalf of the two states, following Governor Simon Bako Lalong’s tour of the Ketepa Tea Processing and Packaging Company; Kenya’s largest tea farming company, which is driven by farmer cooperative society.

A statement issued by the governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr. Makut Simon Macham, stated that Lalong was taken round the tea company by the Managing Director, Albert Otochi, who explained that the company was founded by small scale farmers who are the major shareholders and they determine its day to day running.

He said the governor was told that through the cooperative society, the farmers are encouraged to cultivate tea and coffee which is then bought off them by the company and processed, thereby creating employment for the host communities and boosting their economy.

Macham noted that Lalong, whose visit to Kenya was on behalf of the Northern Governor’s Forum, said the initiative is to consolidate on the gains of his visit to the country, especially Kericho County, which shares a lot of similarities in weather, topography and agricultural endowments with Plateau State.