- Zone 5 tea farmers want inclusion in the subsidised fertiliser programme to reduce production costs.
- Growers say fertiliser prices have risen beyond the government-set rate, threatening yields and earnings.
- Suppliers are demanding payment for fertiliser delivered to tea factories, adding pressure to the sector.
Tea farmers in Zone 5 are asking the government to include them in the distribution of subsidised fertiliser, saying the move would lower their production costs and improve yields.
The farmers argue that they have been locked out of the benefits of the programme. They say the price of fertiliser has climbed to about Ksh 5,000, even though the government fixed it at Ksh 2,000. As a result, many growers cannot afford the input they need to keep their bushes productive.
High fertiliser costs have squeezed already thin margins in the tea sector. Farmers warn that if they cannot apply enough fertiliser, leaf quality and volumes will drop, and so will their earnings.
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They now want the government to step in, enforce the official price and ensure that tea growers in the zone receive their share of the subsidised stock.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on the other side of the chain. Suppliers who have delivered fertiliser to all the factories are demanding payment. The unpaid bills have added to the strain on those handling the input, and they leave the question of pricing and allocation unresolved.
By our reporter
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