Tea farmers from Nyansiongo region in Nyamira County will receive fertilisers from next week following a disastrous performance of the crop in the months of January and February.
This comes few after the worst drought that nearly brought tea farming into a halt, making Nyansiongo factory record abnormal losses for the first time since 1994.
Speaking on Monday during a meet farmers' campaign in several regions, chairman Christopher Nyakora urged farmers to collect fertilisers from their respective buying centres and subsequently apply it to improve yields in the coming months.
He asked farmers who had been avoiding collecting fertilisers on grounds that the factory charges highly to pick the farm inputs since the company had agreed to subsidise the price.
“We started the year on a wrong note due to drought, however, the rains are here and this is the time for you to pick fertilisers from your respective buying centers from Monday next week. It will be essential if we want to improve yields,” he said.
“The last time our company registered abnormal losses was in 1994 following a similar drought. Those who avoid picking fertilisers should do so because we have subsidised and everybody is allowed to pay based on his or her ability,” he added.
Nyakora also announced the affirmative action taken by management board to expunge transportation charges that the company used to charge before.
“We are going to transport these fertilizers for free. This is because we want every farmer to use it for the purpose of improving yields,” he added when addressing Nyaronge buying centre farmers.