Tea to earn Kenya $1.1 bln next year

By Duncan Miriri

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya is likely to match last year's record-setting earnings from tea exports, thanks to stable prices and a weaker currency against the dollar, the head of its Tea Board told Reuters.

The world's top exporter of black tea earned 97 billion shillings from a bumper crop of 399 million kilogrammes last year, surpassing horticulture as the largest source of foreign exchange.

Production is set to fall to 360 million kilogrammes this year, dragged lower by bad weather in several growing areas.

"We have seen the exchange rate being reasonable. In terms of export earnings we do think we are holding onto what we projected last year that is round about the same money last year, that is 97 billion shillings," Sicily Kariuki said in an interview.

"That is because the prices have not been very volatile and the exchange rate has not been too bad."

The average price for all grades stood at $3 per kilogramme at auction in the first four months of this year compared with $2.99 per kilogramme last year, Kariuki said.

The shilling has depreciated significantly against the dollar this year, losing more than 10 percent and touching a record low of 90.85/91.05 on June 16.

Kariuki said that the cold season, starting in the tea growing highlands, could inhibit development of leaves, cutting output.