World Bank: Japan offer tea agency Sh420m to boost farmers’ yields

Tea pickers picking the tea leaves in a tea plantation. PHOTO| FILE

By  PAULINE KAIRU

What you need to know:

  • Japan’s ambassador Tatsushi Terada said his government would extend Sh252 million grant in installments.
  • Tania Lozansky, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Head of Advisory for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services, said they were committed to reducing rural poverty.
  • IFC and KTDA to collect soil and leaf nutrient data across tea catchment areas, conduct soil and leaf testing, and formulate the most appropriate fertiliser blends and application techniques.

The Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) will get Sh420 million to improve yields and income for farmers. The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, together with Japan’s Tokyo International Conference on African Development, through IFC Trust Fund will fund the initiative that will see tea farmers get trained on crop nutrition, soil management and financial management.

Japan’s ambassador Tatsushi Terada said his government would extend Sh252 million grant in installments through IFC for the project called KTDA Advisory Services that commenced Thursday and will end in September 2019.

“Under the project, IFC and KTDA will collect soil and leaf nutrient data across tea catchment areas, conduct soil and leaf testing, and formulate the most appropriate fertiliser blends and application techniques to help farmers maximise yields,” explained KTDA CEO Lerionka Tiampati during  the signing of a partnership agreement between KTDA and the IFC in Nairobi.

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LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIP

“The partnership will also empower farmers to manage their income efficiently, thereby helping them make informed decisions on how to save and invest their money,” added Tiampati.

Tania Lozansky, IFC Head of Advisory for Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services, said they were committed to reducing rural poverty. “The new initiative continues a long-standing partnership between IFC and KTDA, which began in 2012, when IFC first invested in the company’s expansion.”

KTDA is one of the largest farmer-owned enterprises in the world.

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