JEDDAH, 19 March 2003 — Saudi Arabia could be both a major market and a gateway for Kenyan tea exports to the Gulf region, a Kenyan tea-marketing official said here yesterday.
Wilson K. Ng’eno, deputy marketing manager of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), told Arab News during a visit here that Saudi Arabia imported 279,000 kg of tea from Kenya in 2000. “This is the reason why KTDA is looking for a new market here and seeking to increase its exports to the Kingdom. We know that there are large numbers of tea-drinkers in the region. Therefore, Saudi Arabia can be a strategic place for us,” Ng’eno added.
KTDA’s traditional markets are Pakistan, Britain and Egypt.
He said that his delegation had fruitful discussions at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). “JCCI officials have provided us with a list of food importers and the regulations for importing foreign products into the Kingdom. We have met representatives of five Saudi companies who have indicated their willingness to import our tea, and we have signed a preliminary agreement with one of them. In any case, we have high hopes.”
Ng’eno said Kenya imports large amounts of oil from the Kingdom, and tea export could help balance trade between the two countries. “This is one of the main objectives of our mission here,” he said.
Asked how Kenyan tea could compete with the popular Lipton and Rabea brands, he claimed that Kenyan tea was among the best in the world.
“KTDA tea accounts for 6 percent of global tea production,” he said.
