Kenya Tea development Agency has bought 74,597 metric tones of fertiliser, worth Sh2.2 billion which will be distributed to 560,000 smallholder tea farmers through the agency’s fertiliser credit scheme.
According to Citizentv.co.ke, farmers will now enjoy fair prices since a 50kg bag of fertiliser will retail at Sh1,492 down from Sh2,308 last year. This represents a 35 percent reduction.
CEO Lerionka Tiampati said this is the lowest that the farmers have paid for fertiliser in the last seven years and it will help improve yields.
“Applying fertiliser to tea bushes bolsters tea production and increases the quality of green leaf. Application of fertiliser at the onset of the short rains is necessary to ensure consistent high quality and quantity of tea,” Tiampati added.
The report adds that KTDA there will be price variations for different tea factories based on the distance from the port of Mombasa.
“The price includes C&F Mombasa, financing costs, clearing, forwarding, handling and port charges,” He said in a notice in the local dailies.