NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has held high-level talks with China’s Benny Tea Industries as part of Kenya’s renewed drive to deepen agricultural exports to Asia’s biggest economy.
The meeting, which took place Tuesday following Ruto’s recent state visit to China, brought together officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), and the Tea Board of Kenya.
Their goal: to unlock greater access for Kenyan orthodox and specialty teas into the Chinese market.
Benny Tea Industries — one of the top three players in China’s tea supply chain — expressed interest in sourcing a significant share of its annual orthodox tea demand from Kenya.
The company is also considering investments in modern tea processing factories in select counties, a move expected to enhance value addition and create local jobs.
This engagement is in line with government’s strategy to open up global markets for Kenyan farmers while improving packaging, quality, and value chains.
Benny Tea Chairman Zhang Chaobin said his firm is keen on partnering with Kenyan producers to meet growing consumer demand for premium and specialty teas in China.
𝗞𝗘𝗡𝗬𝗔, 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗔 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗞𝗘𝗡𝗬𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗘𝗔 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧 As a follow-up of the recent State Visit to the People’s Republic of China, President @WilliamsRuto met Fuzhou Benny Tea Industries Chairman Zhang Chaobin
Orthodox teas — hand-processed and largely whole-leaf varieties — have been gaining traction globally due to their refined taste and perceived health benefits, with China emerging as a promising growth market.
The discussions also touched on broader trade collaboration, with Kenya keen to ramp up exports of coffee, avocado, macadamia, and other agricultural products to China.
Kenya’s Deputy Head of Mission to China, Ambassador Lynette Ndile, accompanied a delegation from China’s Fujian Province to the talks.
This diplomatic and trade outreach marks a shift in Kenya’s export strategy, from bulk commodity sales to more value-added, premium products with global appeal.
