The tea research foundation of Kenya pre-releases purple tea variety for processing health tea product.

Abstract

The Tea Research Foundation of Kenya (TRFK) has pre-released a purple tea variety, TRFK 306/1 for commercial utilization targeting a unique tea product - anthocyanin-rich tea. The new variety has comparable yield performance to the standard yield control clone TRFK 31/8. As the variety produces a purple tea product, its quality might not have been appropriately measured against the black tea quality clone TRFK 6/8, but the premium price the product fetches far outweighs the value of the highest black tea quality product. Initial adaptability studies demonstrate its wide adaptability in all tea growing regions. The variety is also highly resistant to the major diseases and pests of tea as to date, none of these have been found attacking the purple tea varieties.