The government has flagged off a 45,000-tonne subsidized fertilizer consignment for tea farmers at the Port of Mombasa to be available in 2024.

Speaking on Thursday, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi said the consignment will be accessed at Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) tea-buying centers will retail at Kes 2,500 per 50kg bag.

“This will cut across priority value chains as defined in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA),” the CS said.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to lower the cost of inputs noting that the price of fertilizer had fallen progressively from Kes 6,500, Kes 3,500 to the present Kes 2,500.

“The Government has prioritized provision of fertilizer to ensure that farmers can competitively produce crops, sustain agricultural production and productivity; and contribute to management of the cost of living,” he said.

Additionally, he announced the introduction of 25kg bags to ease the application of fertilizer in farms.

He restated the government’s commitment to support smallholder farmers through access to key inputs, thus cushioning them from high prices in the free market.