This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
June 15, 2020 - The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the importation of fertilizer for smallholder tea farmers in Kenya, prompting the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Management Services to suspend the importation for the year 2020.
KTDA Management Services usually imports fertilizer on behalf of its over 600,000 smallholder tea farmers for application during the short rains in October/November of every year. However, the disruption caused by the pandemic has made it impossible for the fertilizer to be delivered in time for application by the farmers.
After seeking expert advice from the Tea Research Institute, KTDA was given the go-ahead to skip the fertilizer application for the year, with the institute stating that it would have no significant losses in yields, subject to adequate rainfall. However, the institute emphasized that the subsequent application should not be delayed to avoid further yield losses.
On the basis of this advice, the KTDA Board suspended the tender for the importation of fertilizer to next season. Farmers will be refunded the contributions they have made in the last seven months along with accrued interest, which will be effected at the end of this month (June 2020).
KTDA Management Services 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. The agency will advise all stakeholders of the commencement of the next year's procurement.
