Farm Size and Returns to the Smallholder Tea Farmer in Kenya.

Abstract

The importance of smallholder tea farming and its contribution to the economy in developing countries cannot be gainsaid. The smallholder tea farmer in Kenya account for 60% of the total tea production with an average farm size of less than 0.5 ha. A study was carried to determine the influence of farm size on returns to the smallholder tea farming in Kenya. This paper is based on both interpretivist’s and positivist’s epistemology and informed by data collected from 6 Counties in Mt. Kenya Region and 104 respondents around 15 KTDA managed factories. Analysis on perception on Government intervention suggested that the government has low influence on tea farmers’ welfare. The study also found out that returns to farmers are determined by size of land under tea. It is therefore recommended that concerted efforts by all the relevant stakeholders in addressing the smallholder tea farmers’ challenges for sustainable production.