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Mideast war leaves 6,000 tonnes of tea stuck at Kenya port

Trade officials reported Friday that between 6,000 and 8,000 tonnes of tea, worth around $24 million, remain stuck at Kenya's port of Mombasa because of the Middle East war.
Around 65 percent of the African tea market has been affected by the war that began February 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, The East African Tea Trade Association director George Omuga said.
During the first three weeks of March, only five percent of daily meat exports reached destinations, while the Middle East accounts for 10 to 15 percent of Kenya's flower exports, Nicholas Ngahu, CEO of the Kenya Meat and Livestock Exporters Industry Council, reported.
Vivo Energy Kenya reported "temporary stock-outs at some service stations" on Thursday, while John Njogu, CEO of the Petroleum Outlets Association of Kenya, said "panic buying is driving demand" at independent stations.
Tea sales have fallen by nearly 20 percent in recent weeks, resulting in $8 million in lost revenue per week, as shipments to Pakistan face disruption from higher transport costs and insurance premiums.

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