NAIROBI, Jan 11: Kenya’s tea auction sold a total 344.3 million kg of tea in the whole of 2007, 262.3 million kg of which originated in Kenya, statistics by the Africa Tea Brokers showed on Friday.

The Mombasa-based sale marketed 264.7 million kg in the first nine months of the year. A total 201.4 million kg of that was produced Kenya, a leading global exporter of black tea.

The weekly auction also sells tea from Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.

Lipton Limited, associated with tea producer Unilever was the leading buyer at 66.2 million kg by December, compared with 47.9 million in the first three quarters of 2007.

It was followed by James Finlay Mombasa, subsidiary to another grower, at 24.4 million kg.

Last week, the auction postponed one sale due to days of political unrest following President Mwai Kibaki’s disputed election win.

The violence, which has killed about 500 people, disrupted markets including the weekly coffee auction, currency and stock markets, and almost crippled those of neighbouring countries that rely on Kenya’s port for their supplies.

Relative calm has however returned to the east African economy, the biggest in the region. Kenya estimates that it produced a record 350 million kg of black tea in 2007.—Reuters