Nairobi, June 9 -- The regional auction in Mombasa has recorded its highest volume of unsold tea this year, a development industry players have linked to a newly introduced export levy and persistent logistics challenges arising from the ongoing Middle East crisis.

Stakeholders say the combination of higher export costs and increased shipping expenses has made Kenyan tea less competitive in the international market, leading to reduced demand at the Mombasa Tea Auction, the world's largest black tea trading hub.

The latest weekly auction session (Sale 22) recorded a sharp increase in unsold tea after only 9.19 million kilogrammes of the 12.52 million kilogrammes offered for sale secured buyers.

This translated to approximately 27 percen...