- 99,000 tonnes of subsidised fertiliser have been flagged off for tea farmers.
- Farmers will access the fertiliser at KSh2,000 per 50kg bag.
- KTDA has been urged to speed up distribution ahead of El Niño rains.
A celebratory mood has greeted tea farmers across the country following the flagging off of the first consignment of 99,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser from the Port of Mombasa, after offloading and repackaging.
Through the Government subsidy programme, farmers will access the fertiliser at Ksh2,000 per 50kg bag.
KTDA Holdings National Chairman Enos Njeru, alongside Principal Secretary for Agriculture Dr Kipronoh Rono, witnessed the start of the transportation of two million bags of the fertiliser through the railway for onward transit to tea factories across the counties.
Njeru said the timing was critical, as this presents a good window for farmers to apply fertiliser. “Timely application replenishes essential soil nutrients, promotes healthy tea bush growth and supports vigorous leaf production, key to sustaining yield, quality and farmer returns,” he said.
The PS, for his part, urged KTDA to expedite distribution within the month and intensify farmer sensitisation ahead of the El Niño rains.
He explained that the tea sector was undergoing comprehensive reforms to enhance efficiency, value addition, marketing and returns to farmers. He disclosed that a scientific tea testing laboratory was ready and will be fully operational within the next three months, alongside the rollout of the Digital Green Leaf Payment System to promote timely, transparent and efficient payments.
READ ALSO:
“I further directed the Tea Research Institute to strengthen farmer support through soil mapping, quality seedlings and datadriven research to improve productivity and tea quality,” he said.
Present were KTDA Holdings Vice Chairman Eng Samson Mosonik, KTDA Management Services Managing Director Collins Bett, Chai Trading Company Limited Managing Director Dorcas Mohammed, and Tea Board of Kenya Managing Director Willy Mutai, among other stakeholders.
By our correspondent
Get more stories from our website: Sacco Review.
For comments and clarifications, write to: Saccoreview@
Kindly follow us via our social media pages on Facebook: Sacco Review Newspaper for timely updates
Stay ahead of the pack! Grab the latest Sacco Review newspaper!
