• The first tranche arrived last weekend and offloading is ongoing.
• The 600,000 growers will start getting their supplies in the next three weeks to start preparing their farms.
The first tranche of the 95,500 metric tonnes of fertiliser imported for tea growers from Novorossiysk, Russia, has arrived in Mombasa.
The 50,500 metric tonnes arrived on board Panama-flagged MV Lowlands Mimosa on June 22. The offloading started the following day.
It is the largest fertiliser consignment to be received at the Mombasa port, according to KPA head of conventional cargo operations Paul Bor.
The next tranche of 45,000 metric tonnes is expected in two weeks.
Kenya Tea Development Agency representative Simon Gikang’a said the 600,000 farmers will start getting the input in the next three weeks to start preparing their farms.
Gikang’a, who is also the general manager at Chai Trading Limited, said Kenya’s tea production is likely to improve.
Bor said the fertiliser is being offloaded in three shifts at an average rate of 3,500 tonnes each.
Port operations manager Alex Gichaga said the clearance of trucks in and out of the port had been hastened to ensure that the offloaded cargo is dispatched promptly.
“The challenges arising are being addressed in good time,” Gichaga said.
The 50,500 metric tonnage is the largest consignment handled by the port so far, he said. Last year, the largest was 46,000 tonnes.
Gikang’a could not give the cost farmers would pay per bag.
Bor said draft restricts the size of the vehicle handled by the port. The 50,500 metric tonnage is a record for KPA; "it is futuristic". The port has been handling cargo of up to 40,000 metric tonnes at a time.
He said the length of vessels calling on the Mombasa port has increased from 180 metres to 240 metres.