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 suspended the importation of fertilizer for smallholder tea farmers for the year 2020.
The decision was made due to disruptions in the importation chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which 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 centers.
However, the agency has sought and obtained expert advice from the Tea Research Institute on the effects of skipping one year of fertilizer application.
According to the advice, 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 this advice, the board suspended the tender for the 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 refund will be effected at the end of June 2020. KTDA is now advising farmers to source the commodity from government-approved commercial suppliers with tea fertilizer stocks.
Tea farmers affiliated to KTDA managed factories are also slated to receive Kshs 649 million this month from their tea factories, being dividends received from KTDA Holdings Ltd and its subsidiaries for the financial year ending June 30, 2019.
