Sh442m fertiliser subsidy released

What you need to know:

  • According to Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Chairman Peter Kanyago, the money has already been sent to all its affiliate factories.
  • During that period, the agency initiated a process of procuring 60,000 tonnes of fertiliser through the agency’s affiliate factories across the country.
  • The agency said it was procuring fertiliser that is specifically made for tea as the major component is Nitrogen, since the government has never bought any fertiliser for tea farmers.

The State has released Sh442 million fertiliser subsidy for small-scale tea farmers, an official has said.

According to Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Chairman Peter Kanyago, the money has already been sent to all its affiliate factories.

Speaking to the Nation on Sunday, he said the subsidy has been paid at the rate of Sh321.35 per bag for the 1,376,387 bags to be catered for.

“We are thankful to the government for keeping its promise of giving subsidised fertiliser to the small-scale tea farmers. It is our hope that in future, this would continue and possibly even at a much bigger scale,” Mr Kanyago said.

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He said in countries such as India and Sri Lanka, the small-scale tea farmers are subsidised up to 70 per cent and that is what the local tea agency would like to see the government do — to offer the same to Kenyan tea farmers.

Mid this year, the government promised to provide coffee and tea farmers with subsidised fertiliser to boost production.

The State took the decision after realising that farmers were experiencing hardships, with the government hoping that by giving subsidising fertiliser it would motivate them.

Last April, the tea agency had requested the government to give subsidies, saying that the agency was working on modalities on how it would collaborate with the State in order to offer cheaper fertiliser to tea growers.

During that period, the agency initiated a process of procuring 60,000 tonnes of fertiliser through the agency’s affiliate factories across the country.

The agency said it was procuring fertiliser that is specifically made for tea as the major component is Nitrogen, since the government has never bought any fertiliser for tea farmers.

“The agency uses 26:5:5 fertiliser — 26 per cent is Nitrogen, five per cent Potassium and 5 per cent Phosphorous. Tea uses specialised fertiliser. The government has no tea fertiliser and the one it had planned to subsidise is meant for other crops,” Mr Kanyago said.

The official said that the subsidy is timely, and now farmers could save money for other uses.

“Farmers had already been deducted money for fertiliser before the announcement of the subsidy.

“We will refund of the money. We had deducted the cash when we paid farmers’ bonus for a previous crop. The farmers will now get their money back,” Mr Kanyago said.

The money, he said, would be returned during payment for the December crop. The December payment is expected to be done by January 22, next year.