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In a buzzing factory in the Kenyan highlands, tea is hand-picked from the fields, pickled and chopped into fine leaves to feed generations from London to Lahore.

But the price of Kenya’s precious black tea is not as good as before, which forces top suppliers of the world’s most popular drinks to try new products.

On the idyllic hills surrounding Nyeri, factory workers are experimenting with a series of fine teas, deviating from decades of tradition, seeking new customers and cushioning price instability.

Like most producers in Kenya, they have used a method for decades-the crush, tear and crimp (CTC) method to produce ultra-fine tea leaves that are very suitable for tea bags around the world.

However, now, between the conveyor belts that send tons of Kenya’s main carbon tetrachloride into the sacks, the huge rollers gently and slowly massage the green leaves under the watchful eyes of the workers. All the workers have just received training in the art of orthodox tea production. .

The end result—a whole-leaf, slow-processed variety known for its intricate tones and appearance—is still being refined in Gitugi, a factory located in the foothills of the Aberdare Mountains and has been on trial since June These teas.

Antony Naftali, the operations manager of Gitugi in Nyeri, about 85 kilometers (52 miles) north of Nairobi, said the switch to orthodoxy is costly and the culture of workers and farmers has also changed.

But the risk is necessary: ​​Compared with the previous fiscal year, the firm CTC price in the 2018-2019 auction plummeted 21%, highlighting the urgency of diversifying and extracting more products from each tea tree.

Naftali told AFP: "For many years, we have relied on the traditional CTC. But the price has dropped. We want to reduce the pressure... but also want to explore this new market."

Although prices have rebounded, any fluctuations still exist in Kenya, the world's largest exporter of carbon tetrachloride.

Tea is Kenya’s main beverage, but unlike other major producing countries, its consumption is much lower than exports.

The humble tea is the backbone of the economy: According to the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), one in ten Kenyans rely on the tea industry, which sells and markets tea to represent 650,000 smallholder farmers.

This year's poor returns triggered angry protests against the estate, and the tea company recorded losses.

Part of the problem is oversupply.

Increases in prices in recent years have stimulated investment in tea cultivation​​, leading Kenya to record its best ever production in 2018-493 million kilograms (£1 billion).

However, Kenya has relied on too few buyers for a long time, and 70% of its tea is only shipped to four markets.

Its top three customers—Pakistan, Egypt, and the United Kingdom—recently currency depreciation, resulting in expensive tea imports.

Other big buyers—mainly Iran, Sudan and Yemen—have been struggling to pay.

"Our main market is in turmoil," KTDA CEO Lerionka Tiampati told AFP.

"When you can't control the price, there is nothing you can do. But what we are doing is trying to diversify the product."

Grace Mogambi, KTDA's specialty product manager, said that orthodox production has opened the door to markets where whole leaf tea, customized tea and customized bubble tea are rewarded with higher prices.

Researching samples in Gitugi's cupping room, Mogambi concluded the qualities expected by discerning tea drinkers: Russians like whole leaves, Germans like tips, Saudis require jet black, and Sri Lankans don't like tea stems.

“Consumers’ taste preferences are changing. Drinkers are becoming more aware of which tea they prefer,” said Mogambi, wearing a white lab coat, before spinning a sip of the tea and spraying it into the spittoon.

"If I spend more money on a cup of tea, I prefer to present the given characteristics."

But orthodox and professional production lines account for only a small part of Kenya’s exports, and critics say that KTDA, which accounts for 60% of the country’s tea production, has been slow to adapt.

The board of directors decided to launch the orthodox series in 2000, but by the end of 2019, only 11 of its 69 factories are expected to produce tea other than CTC.

Some people, such as Kangeta, a factory on the south side of Mount Kenya, have been growing purple tea, a rare specialty unique to the region.

Other craft varieties include white premium tea, a loose leaf packaged in a luxurious pyramid-shaped tea bag.

These also attract young tea drinkers, and this growing market needs something beyond ordinary black tea.

Gideon Mugo, president of the East African Tea Trade Association, said: “Young tea drinkers will definitely look for the health and other health benefits of tea.”

Major brands other than KTDA have been targeting youth groups.

Kericho Gold produces a series of "attitude teas" packaged in bright boxes, one of which is used for "love" and the other is sold as a hangover medicine. Further explore Kenya's support for the cultivation of genetically modified crops created by Monsanto

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