Tea: Tea Board of Kenya and Tanganyika Tea Board, 1952-1963

File

Shelfmark: MSS. Afr. s. 1257/7

Held at the Weston Library

Throughout the material in these two boxes, notes in Izard's hand refer to a Uganda file. This is not included in the collection: it was possibly handed over to Izard's successor. The terms 'the three Tea Boards' or 'the three Secretaries' are used to indicate the Tea Boards of Kenya, Tanganyika (Tanzania), and Uganda, and their Secretaries. The following abbreviations have been employed:

ITMEB: International Tea Market Expansion Board
KTGA: Kenya Tea Growers' Association
TBK: Tea Board of Kenya
TTB: Tanganyika Tea Board
TTGA: Tanganyika Tea Growers' Association
UTB: Uganda Tea Board.

Dates

Creation: 1952-1963

Extent

1 box

Language of Materials

English

Shelfmark

MSS. Afr. s. 1257/7

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical

In Apr 1952, Izard was invited by the Chairman of the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK), W. Angus Kerr, to become London Representative of the Board, 'to keep it more closely in touch with affairs there' and to provide regular market reports and any information of interest to the tea industry in Kenya (MSS. Afr. s. 1257/7, folder 1, fol. 5). Izard accepted this post after obtaining permission from the Electors' Union. The Tea Board had been set up in 1950 under ordinances Nos. 16 and 58 of the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya, to make provision for regulating and controlling the growing of tea. Its members, whose Chairman was to be elected annually, were:

the Director of Agriculture or his representative
one member appointed by the Governor in Council
five members appointed by the Kenya Tea Growers Association (KTGA) (MSS. Afr. s. 1257/7, folder 2, fols. 74-75).

Izard was appointed London Agent also of the Tanganyika (Tanzania) and the Uganda Tea Boards, and on 1 Jan 1953 became representative of all three on the International Tea Market Expansion Board (ITMEB) during its twelve-month period of liquidation. Eventually, Izard became official representative of the three East African Boards on all London tea committees:

the Regulation of Sales joint Sub-Committee of the Tea Producers Association
the Joint Tea Committee, formerly the London Tea Auctions Joint Committee
the London Tea Trade Committee
the International Tea Committee
the Standing Joint Committee of Tea Producers.

At his suggestion, the TBK applied for Corporate Membership of the Joint East and Central African Board (JECAB) in Feb 1954, and he was named its representative. In addition to his work in connection with these committees, Izard kept the Tea Boards informed of news from London and overseas markets through regular correspondence with the Secretaries, and by sending:

London Letters for circulation to members, or publication in the Boards' journals (MSS. Afr. s. 1257/8, folder 2)
press clippings (many of the extracts from the Tea and Rubber Mail and Tea News Service referred to in the correspondence are to be found in MSS. Afr. s. 1257/8, folder 3)
special letters (copies are filed with the London Letters) reporting on specific subjects
extracts from Minutes of Committees on which Izard represented the Boards
copies of relevant surveys and reports
statistics sent at regular intervals.

At the end of 1960, the TBK withdrew from the Tea Trade Committee and the KTGA took its place. Izard offered to represent this Association in London, but received a letter from the Chairman, W.S.C. Wilkinson, (11 May 1961) saying that members felt a nomination from the newly formed London Kenya Tea Committee would be more appropriate (MSS. Afr. s. 1257/7, folder 1, fol. 152). Early in 1961, it was decided that the Tanganyika Tea Growers Association (TTGA) should become independent of the Tanganyika Tea Board (TTB), and the Association took responsibility for a number of tasks formerly handled by the Board (MSS. Afr. s. 1257/8, folder 1, fol. 188, letter from Walsh to Izard announcing this decision). In Dec 1962, reorganisation of the Association resulted in the abolition of the post of London Representative (see MSS. Afr. s. 1257/8, folder 1, fol. 210).