Less than 20,000 farmers from the North Rift and Western regions have received subsidy fertiliser.
Agriculture Principal Secretary Kello Harsama said as at February 16 2023, 192, 127 bags had been distributed to 17,014 farmers.
He said the farmers from 12 Counties are set to benefit from the subsidy fertiliser to use for the long rains planting season.
The Counties include Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Kericho, Bomet, Narok, Elgeyo Marakwet, Migori, Nakuru, Homa Bay, Kakamega and Bungoma.
Harsama said farmers are buying the fertiliser at Sh3,500 per 50kg through the e-voucher programme, a system developed by Safaricom in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture.
“838,561 vouchers have been issued by Safaricom. The voucher redemption is currently being done at NCPB depots in the 12 Counties. So far, Kenya National Trade Corporation (KNTC) which is the procuring entity has dispatched 326,192 bags of fertiliser to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots and farmer cooperatives,” he said.
The PS added that more than one million farmers have been registered in the 12 Counties.
He said the Government is targeting to distribute 300,000 metric tons or six million bags of 50kgs of planting fertiliser.
“More selling points have been identified in consultation with the County administration,” said the PS.
The fertiliser subsidy programmes is a multi-agency exercise led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and supported by NCPB, KNTC, the Presidency, Kenya Railways, security agencies and respective Count Governments.
Late last year, President William Ruto directed that subsidised fertiliser be given only to registered farmers through e-wallet arrangements.
The subsidy fertiliser programme is aimed at bringing down the cost of fertiliser which had increased significantly to Sh6,500 per 50 Kg bag.
To further address the fertiliser problem in the country, the Government is also seeking to import cheaper fertiliser from Tanzania.
Early this month Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi was in Dodoma, Tanzania where he visited the newly established Intracom fertiliser production plant factory.
He said the Government is looking into ways to cushion farmers and help bring down the cost of fertiliser to less than Sh3,000 per bag.
By 2022, a 50 kg bag of fertiliser was selling at a record high of about Sh6,500 per 50 kg.
