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Burundi's tea export earnings fall

Bujumbura - Burundi’s tea export earnings fell 8% in the first quarter of 2014 from a year ago, due partly to a higher production from neighbouring Kenya, the biggest regional producer of black tea, the country’s tea board said on Friday.

State-run tea board (OTB) said it had collected $5.40m between January and March from the export of 2 306 702kg, down from $5.88m earned the same period in 2013 from the sale of 1 984 806kg.

“Prices of Burundi’s tea fell, affected by a stronger Kenya output and this also impacted negatively earnings,” said OTB’s export official, Joseph Marc Ndahigeze.

Kenya - the world's leading exporter of black tea - influences the regional market as the biggest East African economy alone produces 80% of the commodity in the region, said Ndahigeze.

Hard currency

The landlocked nation exports 80% of its commodity through a regional weekly auction held in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa.

The average export price per kg for Burundi’s tea dipped $2.34 from $2.97, the tea board report showed.

Tea is the second biggest hard currency earner after coffee and employs about 300 000 smallholder growers in a nation of nearly 10 million people.

Revenue from the commodity dropped to $20.8 million in 2013 from $26.3 million in 2012, depending on a weaker world market.

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