Sasini, an agricultural company, reduced its workforce by 267 in 2023 as technology adoption, including mechanized tea plucking, took up manual jobs.

According to Sasini’s latest annual financial report, its employee numbers dropped from 2,567 between January and September 2022 to 2,300 during a similar period last year.

Employees working on farms were mostly affected, as their numbers fell from 2,401 to 2,130 in the review period.

However, employees in the management position grew from 166 to 170.

“The continuing digitization in our operations and technological intervention through the investment in mechanized tea harvesting has helped us in reducing wastage, increasing efficiencies and containing cost of production. We have extended these benefits to select outgrower farmers looking to have all our outgrower farming community in the partnership loop,” read the report.

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“Our successful mechanization of harvesting and application of fertilizers using drones in our tea business has greatly improved our efficiency, cut our production costs and enhanced the quality of tea we produce for the market. This initiative is being extended to the automation of our tea factories.”

The trimming of the workforce saved Kes 22.05 million in staff costs.

Changes came after the company posted a net profit of Kes 542.55 million, buoyed by strong performance from tea and avocado businesses.