This archive report was first published on 27 August 2019.
Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) has made significant strides in its efforts to support smallholder tea farmers by importing large quantities of fertilizer. The second consignment of 45,000 metric tonnes (MT) of NPK fertilizer has arrived in Mombasa, bringing the total to 95,500 MT.
According to KTDA (Holdings) Chief Executive Officer Mr. Lerionka Tiampati, fertiliser is an essential ingredient for boosting tea production as it replaces soil nutrients used in the farms. He emphasized the importance of applying fertiliser to tea bushes at the outset of short rains to ensure consistent high quality and quantity of green leaf.
Mr. Tiampati noted that importing fertiliser in large quantities enables the agency to leverage on economies of scale, thus purchasing the product at comparatively lower costs per unit. In 2018, the average price of KTDA-procured 50kg bag of fertiliser was Kshs1,770 against a market price of Kshs 2,800 for similar quantities.
The first vessel carrying the fertilizer docked at Kilindini port in Mombasa on June 21st 2019 with 50,500 MT, while the second vessel arrived on August 22nd 2019 with 45,000 MT. The fertilizer was imported on behalf of more than 600,000 smallholder tea farmers in the country.
KTDA has taken measures to ensure the quality and safety of the fertilizer, with the Kenya Bureau of Standards conducting pre-shipment inspections at the source, manufacturing process, and at the Mombasa port. Independent laboratories such as KEPHIS, Bureau Veritas, SGS, Intertek, and others also participate in the testing exercise to ensure compliance with safety and specifications.
