EATTA - Legal Notice

The content of this site, including but not limited to the text and images herein and their arrangement, is the property of East African tea Trade Association (EATTA).

EATTA hereby authorizes you to copy and display the content herein, but for your personal use only. Any copy you make must include this copyright notice: Copyright 2008 by East African Tea Trade Association all rights reserved. If attribution to EATTA is included, limited quotations from the content are hereby permitted. You may not copy or display for redistribution to third parties for commercial purposes any portion of the content without the prior written permission of EATTA.

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Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppels, or otherwise any license or right under any patent, trademark, copyright (except as expressly provided above), or proprietary rights of EATTA or of any third party.

The Content 

EATTA makes no representations about the suitability of the content of this site for any purpose. All content is provided "as is" without any warranty of any kind. EATTA hereby disclaims all warranties with regard to the content, including but not limited to all implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. In no event shall EATTA or any of its affiliates be liable for any special, indirect, exemplary, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever, including but not limited to loss of use, data, or profits, without regard to the form of any action, including but not limited to contract, negligence, or other tortious actions, arising out of or in connection with the use, copying, or display of the content although EATTA believes the content to be accurate, complete, and current, EATTA makes no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the content. It is your responsibility to verify any information before relying on it. The content of this site may include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. From time to time changes are made to the content herein. EATTA may make changes in the products and/or the services described herein at any time.

Links to Other Sites 

Some of the sites listed as links herein are not under the control of EATTA. Accordingly, EATTA makes no representations whatsoever concerning the content of those sites. The fact that EATTA has provided a link to a site is NOT an endorsement, authorization, sponsorship, or affiliation by EATTA with respect to such site, its owners, or its providers. EATTA is providing these links only as a convenience to you. There are risks in using any information, software, or products found on the Internet; and EATTA cautions you to make sure that you completely understand these risks before retrieving, using, relying upon, or purchasing anything via the Internet.

Information Provided by You 

Any information provided by you to EATTA, including but not limited to feedback, data, questions, comments, suggestions, or the like, shall be deemed to be non-confidential; EATTA shall have no obligation of any kind with respect to such information and shall be free to reproduce, use, disclose, and distribute the information to others without limitation. Additionally, EATTA shall be free to use any ideas, concepts, know-how or techniques contained in such information for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to developing, manufacturing, and marketing products incorporating such information.

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"EATTA", "East African Tea Trade Association" and the EATTA logo are registered trademarks of East African Tea Trade Association.

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The East Africa Tea Trade Association (EATTA) Code of Conduct and Ethics is a commitment that is made by all of its Members to pursue their business activities in full compliance with all laws and to uphold the highest ethical transparent and professional standards, treating all our partners with integrity thus earning the trust of our customers, business partners, suppliers, Government and the community in general. These core values govern our operations and what we stand for and by observing the letter and the spirit of this Code we are affirming our source of pride as Members of the EATTA.

(i) Honest and Ethical Conduct

Each Member of the EATTA will maintain a high standard of conduct and character in both their professional and personal interests and will act honestly and ethically and will not be party to any illegal or improper activities. Members will ensure that those who work with them uphold the same standards through dialogue and training. 

(ii) Compliance with the Code of Conduct and EATTA Regulations

The EATTA Code and Rules and Regulations are supported by the Management Committee and are set to assure all industry stakeholders that they are bound by these Rules and confirm that business will be conducted with integrity. All Members therefore should understand and familiarise themselves with the Rules and Regulations of the EATTA and Members have an obligation to follow the standards of this Code and requirements therein.

(iii) Compliance with Government Laws, Rules and Regulations

All Members of the EATTA are committed to full compliance with all Government Laws, Rules and Regulations that may apply to their activities.  Any illegal activity, including fraud and corrupt practices is strictly forbidden and if proven will result in immediate cancellation of membership and notification to the relevant authorities and all parties concerned.

 (iv) Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest arises when a Member’s personal interest interferes with the interests of the EATTA and thus making it difficult for such a Member to perform their duties objectively and effectively. Members are requested not to use their positions or other means to obtain any improper personal benefit for themselves, for their families, or for any other person.  Members must declare to the EATTA Management Committee in writing that they have no conflict of interests. Any concerns as to possible conflicts should be declared in writing to the EATTA Management Committee for consideration.

(v)  Internal Reporting of Concerns

All Members are encouraged to forward their concerns of any knowledge of a potential suspected or actual violation of this Code to the Management Committee of the EATTA. Failure to do so is itself a violation of the Code.   Such concerns will be investigated confidentially and the EATTA will under no circumstances tolerate any form of retaliation or discrimination against any such Member.

(vi) Enforcement

The Management Committee will oversee the administration of EATTA’s Code and to respond promptly and professionally to any submissions or allegations that may be forwarded by its Members. The Management Committee will convene a meeting within five working days to review any reported violation and will liaise with the appropriate Sub-Committee(s). Deliberations of these meetings will be minuted and shared with the appropriate Sub-Committee(s) and the Management Committee will take appropriate action.

(vii) Certificate of Compliance

This Code of Conduct makes clear the adherence to the law and ethical behaviour. However, compliance requires a commitment by each Member who must satisfy this pledge as it will signal the Member Company’s commitment to act in accordance with the Code.  We, ……………………………….………….(Name of Company) certify that we have read the Code of Conduct and understand that we individually and severally must adhere to its standards of conduct and report promptly any action that appears inconsistent with these standards.

The East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) is a voluntary membership organization that brings together Tea Producers, Buyers, Brokers, Packers and Warehousemen, affording them a disciplined environment in which to interact commercially, and to promote the best interests of the trade in Africa. EATTA has been in existence for over 50 years.

A membership application form and certificate of acceptance list is attached for your information.

Please note that detailed rules and regulations regarding the tea auction and trading by members are articulated in the EATTA Rule book. A copy of the booklet is available at the EATTA Secretariat at a cost of Kshs. 250/=.

Tea Board of Kenya’s Registration Certificate by Kenyan based Producer, Buyer, Broker, Warehouse and Packer applicants must be attached prior to being considered by the EATTA.

The Tea Directorate can be contacted on the following address:

P.O Box 20064-00200 Nairobi;
Tel 020 2536886;
Email: or P.O Box 903486-80100,
Mombasa, Tel 2314668/2313059,
Email: .

Please contact Tea Board of Kenya prior to submitting your completed application form to EATTA.

Applicants for Membership must be introduced to the Company by a Member (Proposer) and the introduction by the Proposer must be seconded by another Member of the Company (Seconder) both of whom must have been active Member(s) for a minimum period of three years prior to the application for Membership.

Note that the annual subscription fee is paid on a pro rata basis and is therefore determined by the month your application for membership is considered.

Criteria and Requirements for Proposer and Seconder

The Proposer and Seconder shall submit to the Company under separate cover a recommendation letter of the applicant’s suitability for Membership and in the case that the applicant is a corporate entity, the Proposer and Seconder must confirm to the Board that the Directors and Shareholders of the applicant are personally known to the Proposer and Seconder respectively. A Member may only propose or second a maximum of three applicants in any one year.

The Proposer and Seconder will be held fully responsible and liable to the Company for the applicant for a period of two years from the date of acceptance of the applicant as a Member.

Definition of the Various Membership Categories

• Producers – Any person, firm or company, actively engaged in the growing and/or manufacture of tea, or as agents for tea growers and/or tea manufacturers in Africa.
• Brokers – Any person, firm or company, established in Africa for the purpose of negotiating the purchase or sale of tea between Members of the Company.
• Buyers – Any person, firm or company, engaged in buying tea in Africa.
• Packers – Any person, firm or company, actively engaged in buying tea in Africa for retail.
• Public Warehouses – Any person, firm or company, established in Africa warehousing teas being sold in accordance with the EATTA General Trading Rules and EATTA Trading Regulations.
• Private Warehouses – Any person, firm or company, established in Africa warehousing teas being sold in accordance with the EATTA General Trading Rules and EATTA Trading Regulations. This are warehouses where the owner of the warehouses holds his own tea, part of which is transit tea or Non-Kenyan EAC tea.
• Associate – Any person, firm or company not falling within the above Member Categories and is in the support business of the Company.
• Management Agent - Any firm or company established in Africa that is appointed by a tea factory limited company through a specific management contract or agreement to perform or offer professional services.

Membership applications are reviewed and approved by Rules, Legal and Auction Conditions (RLAC) Board Committee and recommended for approval by the Board at its quarterly meetings.

The next RLAC meeting is scheduled for 16^th February 2024, 12^th July 2024 and finally 22^nd November 2024.

Please complete the form plus payment (banker’s cheque for the correct amount of subscription and entrance fees) and forward to the Secretariat at least 2 weeks before the RLAC meeting if you wish to be considered for membership.

East African Tea Trade Association

January 2024

The Export Auction System was initiated in November 1956 in Nairobi on a very small scale with only small quantities of secondary grade teas offered fortnightly under the auspices of the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA). The bulk of East African tea production was directly consigned to the London Auctions. In time, East African Producer members considered it worthwhile to offer additional volume and quantity in the local export auctions. As quantities increased, the incentive for international buying concerns to open up offices in Kenya grew. Gradually, more international buyers were attracted, spreading interest to markets other than the U.K. In 1969 it was decided by both Producer and Buyer members of the Association that, as tea was mainly warehoused, handled and shipped from Mombasa, the Auctions be moved from Nairobi to the Port of Mombasa.

The Auctions are held weekly, on Mondays and Tuesdays. There is presently, a main grades auction held on Tuesdays and secondary grades auction held on Mondays.The variety of quality and progressively increased quantities offered have made Mombasa the second largest black tea auction centre in the world after Colombo in Sri-Lanka. Unlike India and Sri-Lanka where tea is seasonal, production in this region is all year round. Mombasa has gained a reputation as a centre for some of the best CTC top grades in the world and an international blending floor with teas coming from within and outside Africa for blending. Every major tea producing and consuming country focuses on the weekly activities in this centre to gauge the market trends and create benchmarks for their international prices of tea. Due to the success story of the Mombasa auctions, courtesy of the EATTA, more producing countries continue to join the Association.

Presently there are offerings from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Madagascar,Mozambique and Ethiopia.Producers from as far as New Guinea and Indonesia have expressed their wish to join the Association and have their teas offered in the Mombasa auction. Mombasa is now the only auction centre in the world trading in straight-line teas from more than one country. Quantities have grown by over 300 percent in the last 20 years. This could not have been possible without the tight checks and controls in the whole system. These checks range from setting minimum standards to severe disciplinary action against errant members of the trade as EATTA is often the platform for addressing problems affecting members.

The auctions attract principal overseas interest from the major tea consuming countries in the world with the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Sudan, Iran, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Somalia, Canada and Singapore as the major players. The Buyer representation spreads over more than fifty countries internationally. The Buyer members, by way of obtaining supply contracts, effectively promote and market African tea abroad. With the closure of the London Auction in 1998 the volumes offered at the Mombasa Auctions have considerably grown with an expectant market expansion. Tea Exporters are required to register all Sale Contracts with the Tea Directorate within thirty days of being finalized in a Contract Registration Form together with the relevant export documents.

A certain percentage of tea is sold by Brokers through Private Treaties to Buyer members which is a complementary feature to the weekly Monday Auctions. Teas bought from the Auction or by Private Treaty, in accordance with the Constitution of the Association, may be exported or packed and sold on the local market, in accordance with the Laws of Kenya. Import Duty and Value Added Tax are payable on any Non-Kenyan teas removed from a Warehouse for home consumption.

Sale No. 42 of 26^th October, 1992 is fondly remembered as the sale the Mombasa Tea Auction went international by conducting a most successful US dollar auction in accordance with Kenya Government Policy as per Exchange Control Circular No. 5/92/13 of 15/10/92. Although there were a few teething problems, the system entrenched itself within a short while. This is a big step which neither India, the largest producer of tea nor Colombo, the biggest auction in the world, have managed to achieve to-date. All sales are held under the self-regulating rules and regulations of the EATTA which ensure fair play. Trade is between members. Auction sales are numbered on an annual basis starting with Sale No.1 on the first Monday in January and ending  with sale 50 or 51 in December.

The Association regularly works towards further improvements in warehousing, handling, shipping and communications in order to attract the international buying support that is so essential for the success of the East African Tea Trade. The largely unexplored opportunities in the value added export market are an area for the Packer members to address. The Government is encouraging growth in this sector with facilities such as export processing zones. Other incentives such as VAT and import duty exemptions on packaging machinery and materials, soft loans and tax holidays will greatly enhance activity in this area.

The activities of the Association are driven by a Board of directors, which meets quarterly. The Board comprises six Producer representatives, three Buyers, one Brokers and one Warehouse and one packer representative elected each year in rotation at an Annual General Meeting. In turn, the Board elects a Chairman and Vice-Chairman and appoints Committees to transact its business on its behalf. The Association has functioned effectively through four committees each chaired by a board member. 

To take care of their sector's special interests, the different categories of members have formed their own Sub-Associations under the umbrella of the EATTA. These are the Tea Producers’, Tea Buyers', Tea Brokers', and Tea Warehouses Associations.

The day to day administration of the Association is provided by a Secretariat based at the Tea Trade Centre on Nyerere Avenue, Mombasa where the two auction centre are housed. The Secretariat compiles and circulates statistical information and trade enquiries to assist members in their sales operations. Minutes of all Association meetings are recorded and filed at the Secretariat, which operates on funds raised from members' annual subscriptions.

Regular consultations and meetings are held between the various related central government Ministries, departments and other allied trades such as the Kenya Ports Authority, the Shipping lines, all in the interest of the tea trade in the region. The Association's Board works closely with the Tea Board of Kenya, which is the apex of the Industry in Kenya. A Tea Convention held after every two years, is organised by the EATTA.

The East African Tea Trade Association was formed in 1957 to promote the  best interest of the Tea Trade in Africa.

The Association's objects are: 

• To promote the best interest of the Tea Trade in Africa. 
• To foster and ensure the orderly sale of tea and the centralization of the Tea Trade in East Africa 
• To establish facilities for the conduct of sale of tea by auction or otherwise. 
• To promote close relations within the Tea Industry. 
• To facilitate the settlement of disputes within the trade 
• To collect and circulate tea statistics and to maintain such records as may be of assistance to members in the conduct of their business.

The Association has approximately 300 corporate members of six categories 

EATTA’S Half Century at the Helm

With a current membership of about 240 members from across the tea industry, East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) is the most credible and authoritative membership organization that is fully in charge of this crucial sector in the region.

Its insuperable history dates back to 1956, when a handful of tea producers, buyers and brokers came together and founded the Association. They decided that the practice of consigning all the Kenya and East Africa’s teas to the London Auction in the United Kingdom was not a very wise thing to continue doing. “Why should Kenya not have its own auction system?” This was the pondering question in the minds of the determined pioneers of the tea trade.

They established Kenya Tea Export Auction, as was then known.  However, the amount of tea offered at the auction was very small. The new auction mostly dealt with the secondary grades.  Kenya’s annual production of tea was just 10 million kilos then and the bulk of it was still finding its way to the London Auction.  This however never killed the morale of the local auction initiators.

The auction was done after every two weeks at Plantation House, along Haile Selassie Road, Nairobi, which remained the venue of the tea business until 1969 when EATTA members resolved to have it relocated to Mombasa. The relocation of the auction from Nairobi to Mombasa was itself not without some controversy and strong opposition from a section of the members.  For this reason, the process to relocate took nearly two years.

Relocation

A meeting of the EATTA Management Committee held at Grand Hotel in Kampala on July 23, 1968 mooted the idea of relocating the auction from Nairobi to Mombasa. Participants in the meeting held in the afternoon after an International Tea Conference in the hotel, agreed in principle on the relocation.  But they had to circulate minutes of that decision to members in order to get their views.

Present at the Kampala meeting included representatives of the African Tea Brokers Ltd, Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) as it then was, The African Highlands Produce Company Ltd, Kenya Tea Company, Salama Ltd, Abangulu Ltd, Brooke Bond Mombasa Ltd, Stansand (Africa) Ltd, Uganda Tea Brokers, Phillips Harrison and Crosfield Ltd and the Uneximp Ltd.

The members instructed the Committee Secretary Mr. E.B. Sadharwala of George Williamson to circulate the minutes of the resolution (on relocation) to all the EATTA members and to give a six-week notice.  It however was a big setback for pro-relocation members when a Management Committee meeting held on November 5, 1968 chaired by Mr. M.J. Clarke heard that only 43 members had voted in favour of the relocation against 76 members who said they preferred the auction to remain in Nairobi. Seven members had abstained in voting while 31 others were yet to respond.

Many members mainly producers complained that it would be very costly for them to travel all the way to Mombasa to attend auctions. Those from Uganda and Tanzania also felt Mombasa was going to inconvenience them.

It happened that more and more tea buyers and brokers were opening their offices in Mombasa where they warehoused their teas and booked ships to export it after having bought it at the Nairobi auction.  The brokers and buyers told the producers that they stood to realize better prices for the commodity once the auction was moved to Mombasa. These developments helped to build a case for relocation and it was not long before majority members saw the sense of the proposed shift.  Come 1969 and all roads led to Mombasa, the town that would henceforth host the auction to-date and the future.

Growth and Development

At the same time, the tea offerings at the auction grew significantly compared to the early years of the Nairobi auction.  In August 1968, when the auction was still in Nairobi, the then EATTA Chairman Mr. O. Brook reported that membership had reached 155 comprising of 63 buyers, 76 producers, 4 brokers and 12 associate members. The offerings, on the other hand, had grown to 195,112 chests and a weekly auction was initiated on a trial basis.

Another significant development in the management of EATTA took place in the same period when a special meeting was convened on August 20, 1968 purposely to alter the organisation’s constitution and the rules and regulations, to pave way for the establishment of an all powerful 12-man Management Committee mandated to oversee the day to day operations of the Association on behalf of the members. This management structure exists up to date and has helped in the smooth running of the Association.

Challenges

Many problems dogged the tea sector in the 1960s, 70s and the 80s. These included delays at the Mombasa Port, high shipping costs, drought, fluctuation of prices, sometimes-unfriendly government regulations and packaging for export. However, through its growing influence, EATTA was able to ensure most of these problems were addressed except those that were obviously beyond its control like the weather conditions and the fluctuations in the world market.

EATTA has been able to negotiate reasonable shipment rates with the shipping lines for its members. It has over the years worked closely with the relevant government institutions like the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kenya Bureau of Standards, Tea Board of Kenya (TBK), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Finance Ministry and that of Agriculture, among other institutions, to ensure all emerging issues affecting the industry are tackled with due diligence.

Guidelines and Regulations

An important part of its mandate is to ensure that teas imported into the country for sale at the auction are cleared by the Customs without unnecessary red tape. The Mombasa Auction currently serves 11 countries and it would be foolhardy for the government to put blocks on the official routes through which the commodity is brought into Mombasa for sale.

The tea handling chain has to be foolproof to avoid mix-ups and compromise on the standards.  Therefore, back in 1981, the Association saw the need to put in place a detailed code of practice for the warehousing operators.  The code that was prepared by the Tea Brokers Association sets out guidelines on tea handling, a system that eases the work of identifying unevenly bulked tea before it is entered into the catalogue.

EATTA has also proved its mettle as an effective self-regulator by successfully enforcing quality standards instead of depending on the government. The importance of the Mombasa Auction continues to grow.  Containerized shipments introduced in the late seventies, created further interest from international tea buyers who soon realized the advantages of quick and safe shipment to destination. Thereafter, the conversion of packing to easily palletized paper sacks stretch-wrapped and containerized for shipment has been an additional incentive to exporters.

The introduction of bidding in US dollars in October 1992 has also proved a further strong incentive to producers offering tea in the Mombasa Auctions and additional quantities not only from Kenya but also from the other EATTA-member countries mentioned earlier. This allows payment for teas sold in US dollars ten working days from the date of sale and obviates any devaluation in local rates and ensures rapid payment in a stable currency.

Lobbying and Strategies

Some more recent challenges affecting the tea traders locally have included the following: poor infrastructure, inefficiency of the Mombasa Port, insecurity, tea hawking, high production costs and depressed tea prices.

However, through lobbying, EATTA has been able to impress upon the relevant authorities to effect various intervention measures.  Many roads within Shimanzi area where most warehouses are located are currently undergoing rehabilitation and the same case applies to the highways connecting the Kenyan port town with its hinterland where tea originates.

To ensure producers realize better returns for their tea, the Tea Board of Kenya is currently working out a strategy to facilitate tea value addition initiatives through blending, packaging and branding of the Kenyan tea.  These activities have been minimal and the investors have complained over the lack of incentives and favourable legal and policy structure.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is working closely with EATTA on a new project dubbed “Greening the Tea Industry in East Africa” that would involve setting up small hydro power projects to supply tea factories with their energy needs instead of continuing to rely on firewood, which is expensive and has had a devastating effect on the environment.

Production cost comprises 60 per cent of the tea prices realized at the Mombasa auction, 30 per cent of which are energy costs.  It is estimated that reverting to HEP energy would help reduce the energy costs to 12 per cent thereby improving the producers’ profit margin substantially.

 East Africa Tea Trade Association  and TMEA East Africa Inaugurated a Capacity building initiative of Tea Industries in East Africa to implement recognized International Standards(Food Safety Management Systems)

The East Africa Tea Trade Association is excited about this partnership with TradeMark East Africa which is expected to build the capacity of the tea industry in East Africa.

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The annual Kenya Taxpayers week was officially opened on Monday 17th, at the KRA times towers ground. The event was opened by the Kenya’s finance Minister, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, who thanked the taxpayers for their continued support and compliance to tax regulations, pointing out that the taxpayers’ week was a clear demonstration of the positive mutual partnership enjoyed by KRA and the taxpayers which has seen the increase in tax collection since the inauguration of the event in 2003. He commended the taxpayers for actively contributing to the government’s development programs and assured citizens that the government was working to stabilize the economy.

The East African Tea Trade Association is delighted to announce the 2^nd Africa Tea Convention & Exhibition will be held  on 28^th - 30^th August 2013 at the Kigali Serena Hotel - Kigali, Rwanda. This will be the second Tea Convention & Exhibition to be organized by East Africa Tea Trade Association and it is expected to be a global event for tea industry. The 1^st event was very successful and was attended by major tea importers and consumers of the African tea all over the globe

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The latest of SORWATHE’s many achievements is being adjudged the BEST OVERALL EXIBITOR 2010 at the 13th Annual Rwanda Trade Fair 2010 held recently and seen in the photo is Mr Cally Alles – Director General just after receiving the trophy.

At the beginning of 2010, Sorwathe was also adjudged as “Investor of the Year for 2009” at the prestigious Rwanda Development Board awards. This award which many aspire to achieve was based on the profitability, forward and backward linkages with local SME’s, job creation, demonstration of Innovation and Technology transfer, Corporate Social Responsible projects, being a role model and reinvestment into business to sustain growth. In addition to this main award we were placed as second runner-up in the “Exporter of the year-2009” category.

SORWATHE is currently the only ISO 22000:2005 and FAIRTRADE certified, ETHICAL TEA PARTNERSHIP participant and RBS – (Rwanda Bureau of Standards) product certified. It is also ISO 9001:2008 certified.

Sorwathe has many first time achievements in Rwanda, the main are as follows. We are the first to build a New Orthodox Tea Factory in Rwanda which is automated and could manufacture both Orthodox and Green Tea. In addition to this we have introduced technology to the Tea industry in Rwanda such as Fluid Bed Driers, Invertors, 3T Stalk Extractors, Enclosed troughs etc. We are also converting 116 hectares of tea into Organic Tea which is another first in the Tea Industry of Rwanda.

Tea Tourism is another of our projects and we have our Guest House with a panoramic view. We have introduced field and factory tours to those who are interested in learning more about Tea.

Sorwathe produces Black and Green Tea, both CTC and Orthodox and White Tea. Currently it is “In Conversion” for Organic. The Annual production is around 3 million kilos of Black Tea which is 15% of Rwanda’s production. In 2007 Sorwathe produced 3.66 million kgs of Black Tea.

East African Tea Trade Association is the premier body representing the interests of tea producers, tea buyers, tea brokers, tea packers and tea warehouses. EATTA has 167 members in 9 countries in Africa. EATTA runs the Mombasa tea auction that is the second largest tea auction in the world after the Colombo auction. Of the tea exported globally, 32% passes through the Mombasa auction.

The auction has grown by a remarkable 300% in the past 20 years, by offering teas from all the member countries. The tea task force report of 2007 made specific recommendations based on challenges facing the industry. EATTA has identified four areas that need urgent address by the Government of Kenya;

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The tea trade in Mombasa made a donation of 10,300 kilograms of tea to the people of Pakistan on 3rd November 2010 at the EATTA Secretariat after the suffering and devastation caused by the recent floods and heavy rains. The tea was packed in water tight 5 kilogram bags. This donation is made in recognition of the good trade relations between the Association members and the great people of Pakistan. The good relationship was exemplified recently by the visit of the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Kenya HE Masroor Jumenjo in April 2010 to EATTA.

The 2010 Pakistan floods began in July 2010 following heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan regions and affected the Indus River basin. At one point, approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was underwater. The floods directly affected about 20 million people, mostly by destruction of property, livelihood and infrastructure, with a death toll of close to 2,000.

Pakistan is an important market of East Africa. Pakistan buys all our grades of tea unlike other markets that buy particular grades. The Pakistan market being predominantly Islamic, takes tea as the beverage of choice. Many of our important tea markets are seasonal in the tea they purchase from the auction so that in some months demand for tea goes down; therefore Pakistan’s demand consistent throughout the year making it an ideal market.

EATTA in Conjunction with SGS Kenya conducted a three (3) day training on Quality Management System ISO-9001:2008 - Awareness and Internal Auditor Training. It targeted  EATTA membership category of tea Buyers and Brokers. The training was held on  6th - 8th October 2010 at EATTA Secretariat.

A record 26 participants attended the the training for the three days. Workshop participants were drawn from different buying and brokers houses within the tea trade. This marks a major milestone in the quest to have EATTA members achieve ISO certification standards.

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The Pro-invest marketing initiatives programme validation workshop took place on Tuesday 8th September 2010.

THE EAST AFRICAN TEA TRADE ASSOCIATION

Expression of Interest

For: Design, Development, Implementation and Commissioning of Electronic Auction system

Ref. EOI/IT-EATTA/01/2010

Date September 2010

Download copy of EOI

Background of EATTA

The East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) is an association body established in 1957 to market tea to the rest of the world through the Mombasa Tea Auction, facilitate effective access to market and other relevant industry information, and promote industry interests rough proactive lobbying and advocacy measures. EATTA has been undergoing major strategic change in all areas including its Business Processes and Service Delivery.

EATTA has conducted a Feasibility study to guide its Business Process Re-engineering process.

EATTA is now looking for partners to implement a Distributed system to support it’s Reengineering process to E-auction.

Objective

EATTA wants to engage a competent IT vendor/ firms with experience in turn-key solutions towards the development and installation of a distributed IT solution with the view to automate the Tea trading procedures with special interest in E-auction.

The software system should enable member of the tea trade to conduct auctions online, buy/sell tea products on retail, offer payment settlement, generate statistical reports,

A company can present a proposal for either:

i. Software solution–Distributed system available via web with the following components:

a. Enterprise database solution preferably Oracle database

b. E-auction module

c. E-commerce platform

d. Banking module for settlement & disbursement

ii. Hardware and Infrastructure solution

a. Data centre with off-shore backup capabilities

iii. Both software and hardware & infrastructure solution 

All of the above solution will be as an outsourced service by EATTA and a firm can present aproposal to carry out the project either on its own or in conjunction with her subsidiaries or partners.

EOI SUBMISSION & EVALUATION

The bidders are required to submit their EoIs in the following indicative format:

General Organization Capacity

1. Organization legally established
2. Organization registered / accredited in Kenya or in any other state
3. Appropriateness of Organizations Mandate and/or Mission
4. Organization’s oversight / governance structures
5. Current staff that are permanent and with relevant experience base to support the
6. implementation of the IT project (programming, monitoring, reporting, finance,procurement, logistics, etc.)
7. Outsourced personnel for specific assignments and their roles
8. Proposed partnership arrangements (i.e. partnerships with local service providers where need be)

Technical Capacity

1. Demonstrated technical capacity of the organization
2. Availability of in-house technical skills
3. Demonstrated ability to achieve results
4. Demonstrate Business Continuity plans
5. Demonstrate Disaster Recovery structures in place

Experience of Organization in IT turn-key Solutions

1. Demonstrate technical capacity to successfully manage the project, based on experience on similar projects
2. Demonstrate experience on projects of similar scope and scale.
3. Demonstrate experience or understanding of auction systems
4. The EOIs will be evaluated based on the information provided and shortlisted firms will be issued with Request for Proposals (RFP)

Reputable Consultants are invited to express interest for Consultancy service and installation of the system. Interested firms MUST provide any relevant information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services through submittal of (Profiles, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff,

Submission of EOIs

Interested vendors should submit their EOI document on or before 24th September, 2010 by

5.00 pm. The EOI document should be addressed to:

The Managing Director,

East African Tea Trade Association,

P. O. Box 85174 80100,

Mombasa

Download copy of EOI

East African Tea Trade Association organized a Tea Quality & Processing Workshop on  the 14th and 16th  October, 2010 in Kericho at the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya.

The workshop was officially opened by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of EATTA - Mr. Nelson Orgut. The participants had been drawn from Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda. The facilitator of this training was be Prof. Martin Obanda a renowned Tea scientist with the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya.

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The world Tea & Coffee ExchangeSM in conjunction with EATTA conducted a webinar on a practical demostration of an e-auction on Wednesday 21st July 2010. The webinar was conducted with presenters in differents states in America between 4.00 P.M - 6.30 P.M East African Time.

Objectives:

To showcase the functions of e-auction through a practical session where members participate in real-time

Participants: EATTA Members, although the most represented were buyers, brokers and warehousemen.

Presenters: Mike Maigua, Charity and the team from WTCEX in USA

Areas covered

The webinar presentation covered the following areas:-

1. Advantages of e-auction
2. WTCEX understanding of the EATTA and tea industry
3. Electronic payment
4. Trading platform
5. Retail market segment for value added products
6. Practical participation
7. Questions and answers

Members had a chance to try out practically buying teas on an online system, the bidding was alot of fun as participants tried to outbid the other buyers. Members then had a chance to ask the presenters their questions and got clarifications on different functions of the WTCEX system.

Though there were some teething challenges at the start of the webinar, the event was a success and members have been requesting for another presentation as they get to understand how online systems work.

This is a first presentation cum workshop in a series of workshops that will be held by EATTA as part of the Business Re-engineering process towards full automation of the auction process.

To try out the WTCEX system kinldy log on www.wtcex.com and go to trading platform, you will need to register either as a buyer, seller or warehouse for demo purposes. Use your mobile number so that you can get notifications when you bid or complete a transcation.

FSMS - ISO 22000 Awareness / Internal auditor training - July 2010 

EATTA in Conjunction with SGS Kenya conducted a three (3) day training on Food safety Management (FSM) ISO-22000 awareness and internal auditor training. The training targeted members in the tea warehouses.

A record 30 participants attended the the training for the three days. Workshop participants were drawn from different warehouses within the tea trade. This marks a major milestone in the quest to have EATTA members achieve ISO certification standards.

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The newly appointed Kenyan ambassadors visited the EATTA and the tea trade in mombsa on Tuesday 13th July 2010. The 15 ambassadors who will represent Kenya in various foreign missions visited the EATTA, where they had a meeting with the EATTA management and Board Members.

They later visited the Mombasa Tea Auction to experience first hand the trading at one of the biggest International tea auctions in the world. Later they visited warehouses, and buyer members.

EATTA has been invited by the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture to present its case about the Tea Amendment Bill (2010) populary known as the Kones Bill. EATTA has been invited together with KTDA the only two bodies that have expressed opposition to the Bill and forwarded their petitions to the Clerk of the National Assembly.

The Bills Committe on Agriculture will meet on Monday 28th June 2010 at 2.00 p.m., EATTA delegation will be led by Mr. Brian Ngwiri (Marketing Manager) and the advocay consultants (AGSEC Consultants).

EATTA has several objections to this Bill and will use this case to further the interest of the tea trade.

KRA REVERSES DIRECTIVE ON EXPORT ENTRIES DOCUMENT. The directive from Kenya Revenue Authority requiring export entries to have the container number has been reversed. The Commissioner of Customs Services was in Mombasa last week and she committed that as a permanent solution tea exporters will not be required to fill in the container number when lodging the C17B form. You can start lodging your export entries and if you encounter a problem get in touch with the secretariat.