Four Kenyan tea factories have suspended operations following a frost attack on green leaf in Nandi South. The frost has worsened tea production in the district that has also been affected by the post-elections violence, leading to a decline in output. Eight factories that are open are operating below their normal capacity as the delivery of leaves has reduced. "We are pruning tea bushes to avoid further losses but we pray that the frost does not attack again because if that happens output will drop further," said Mr David Matelong in Nandi Hills. Nandi Tea general manager, Mr Titus Kipyab, said tea plucking was taking place on 30 per cent of the 7,000 hectares in the region. "We are now picking tea four days a week instead of six," he said. Eight years ago, multinational companies in the district suffered heavy losses after the region was hit by frost. More than 40,000 tea workers lost their jobs, while firms and smallholder farmers incurred losses running into millions of shillings. Earlier this month, the Tea Board of Kenya said last year’s output reached a record 369 million kilogrammes from 310.6 million in 2006, but earnings dropped to Sh43 billion ($603.5 million) from Sh47 billion.
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