EDITORIAL: Address farmers’ woes

Monday, June 29, 2020 0:01

By EDITORIAL

Tea picking in Nyamira.

FILE PHOTO | NMG 

Calls by thousands of small-scale tea farmers for the government to supply them with subsidised fertiliser after importation of the commodity was suspended should be addressed.

The farmers aver that they cannot afford the vital input since it is now retailing at Sh1,000 more for a 50 kilogramme bag and the price has become prohibitive, which would likely impact on the crop’s production.

The Kenya Tea Development Agency suspended importation of the subsidised commodity, citing disruptions and uncertainties caused by global lockdowns aimed at containing Covid-19 pandemic.

It is now expected to refund the Sh1.3 billion the estimated 600,000 farmers had contributed over the past year for purchasing the input.