NAIROBI, Jan 25: Kenya's earnings from tea exports rose by nearly 12 per cent last year, the Tea Board of Kenya said on Thursday. A total of 47.3 billion shillings ($676 million, 520 million euros) worth of tea was exported during the course of 2006, up 11.8 percent from the 42.3 billion shillings recorded in the previous 12 months, said TBK managing director Sicily Kariuki.

This was attributed to improved export prices of Kenyan tea which rose by 23 per cent to 150 shillings per kilo ($2.14, 1.64 euros per kilogram) from 122 shillings the previous year,” said Kaiuki.

Pakistan remained the chief market for exports having imported 84m kilos of tea, followed by Egypt with 78m kilos while Britain imported 46m kilos.—AFP