- The intervention comes at a time when volatility of international fertiliser prices, driven by global dynamics, are impacting Africa and Kenya.
- With declining land sizes, especially in Kisii and other areas, production and output per acre is significantly low, making the interventions necessary.
Image: FILE
The government has pledged to continue scaling up subsidies for small-scale farmers in the country as part of the efforts to spur food production.
Agriculture Principal Secretary Francis Owino said already thousands of farmers in 25 counties in the country are benefiting from the programme.
The programme, Owino said, will be expanded to the rest of the counties in years to come.
The intervention comes at a time when volatility of international fertiliser prices, driven by global dynamics, are impacting Africa and Kenya, particularly with current prices reaching an all-time high in 12 years.
The Agriculture PS urged farmers to embrace digital technology and harness it to improve their trade.
"Unavailability of quality and affordable inputs such as seeds, fertiliser and agrochemicals continue to remain a major challenge to agricultural production," he said.
Owino was speaking at Emenwa in Bobasi during the launch of Version III Payment Platform for the short rains of 2022 under the National Value Chain Support Programme.
The primary aim of the programme, he said, is to spur food production and make the country food secure.
With declining land sizes, especially in Kisii and other areas, production and output per acre is significantly low, making the interventions necessary.
Also, with the supported farm inputs, the government now projects an improvement from the current 12 bags of maize per acre to 20 to 30 bags.
Under the subsidy programme, Kisii county was allocated Sh44,378,538 for the long rains of 2022, which benefited 1,535 farmers.
There was a further Sh30 million for the short rains of 2022 and Sh60 million for the long rains of next year.
Owino said at least 1.4 million farmers had been targeted with the programme across the country.
"This is purely about the effort to put money in the pockets of the farmers," the PS said, adding that he had already signed an agreement with 197 agro-dealers in the country to ensure farmers get quality inputs.
"But even as we do this, farmers should be vigilant too against rogue dealers who may infiltrate the market with fake farm inputs," he said.
Farmers in Kisii have benefited from more than eight similar intervention programmes before from the national government.
Outgoing Agriculture executive Ezman Onsarigo said least Sh46 million had been injected by National Treasury, with the county adding Sh72 million to the programmes.
Onsarigo said owing to the programme, Kisii farmers have scaled up food production.
He told farmers that markets are now available locally and internationally for the produce, and thus the need to spur production.
The executive also told extension services personnel against lethargy, saying farmers need good services from them.
He also warned unscrupulous agro-dealers against the sale of fake farm inputs which hamper efforts to improve production.
Onsarigo also asked the same dealers against increasing prices unnecessarily saying it exerts undue financial pressure on struggling farmers.
(edited by Amol Awuor)