Nairobi, March 1 -- Kenya is pushing for barter trade on tea in exchange for rice imports from Pakistan as the country moves to cushion the top buyer of its beverage in the wake of serious economic woes in Islamabad, occasioned by a shortage of dollars.

Agriculture Cabinet secretary Mithika Linturi is in Pakistan where the discussion on the possibility of Kenya importing rice from Pakistan in exchange for tea to the Asian nation will take centre stage.

Kenya is worried that the financial woes in Pakistan, which have affected the tea trade at the Mombasa auction may worsen in the coming months.

Tea traders at the auction have been pushing for the government to embrace barter trade on the two commodities to enable Pakistan-Kenya's larges...