This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
Published on June 15, 2020, the Kenya Tea Development Agency Management Services (KTDA MS) has taken a crucial decision to suspend the importation of fertilizer for smallholder tea farmers for the year 2020.
The move comes in the wake of disruptions in the importation chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it impossible for the fertilizer to be delivered in time for application by the farmers.
KTDA MS imports fertilizer on behalf of its over 600,000 smallholder tea farmers, enabling them to benefit from economies of scale, competitive prices, and deliveries right at their tea buying centres.
However, the disruption caused by the pandemic has made it impossible for the fertilizer to be delivered in time for application by the farmers.
According to a statement by KTDA MS, they sought and obtained expert advice from the Tea Research Institute on the effects of skipping one year of fertilizer application.
The advice was that it is possible to skip one year with no significant losses in yields, subject to adequate rainfall. However, the subsequent application should not be delayed, to avoid further yield losses.
On the basis of the advice, the board suspended the tender for importation of fertilizer to next season. Consequently, farmers will be refunded the contributions they have made in the last seven months along with accrued interest.
This will be effected at the end of this month (June 2020).
KTDA MS has advised farmers who may wish to apply fertilizer to their farms notwithstanding the above advice to source the same from government-approved commercial suppliers with tea fertilizer stocks.
