This archive report was first published on 24 August 2021.
Kenya Tea Development Agency Management Services Limited (KTDA MS) has successfully imported 65,000 tonnes of fertilizer for smallholder farmers in the country, with the shipment arriving at the port of Mombasa on August 24, 2021.
The NPK 26:5:5 chemically compounded fertilizer was procured directly from two international companies – Ameropa AG of Romania and Indagro SA of Switzerland at a total cost of USD 29m.
The cost of fertiliser has been negatively impacted by the rising cost of natural gas, unfavourable exchange rates, global supply constraints, high crude oil costs, and the cost of shipment among other factors.
KTDA has promised fast, cost-effective, and convenient delivery to all registered smallholder farmers, with arrangements having been made with transporters to move the commodity to factories straight from the port.
KTDA procures fertilizer in bulk for more than 630,000 small scale tea farmers, who are the shareholders of its managed factories, through competitive bidding.
The fertiliser is distributed to the farmers through their respective factory companies, enabling them to access high-quality fertiliser at the most competitive price and in a reliable manner.
KTDA Holdings chairman David Ichoho noted that his board has been engaging the government with a view of getting a subsidy for the fertiliser for the farmers and is hopeful that the government will favourably consider this request.
