Farmers in North Rift are worried there will be a drop in maize production because of high fertiliser prices ahead of next month's planting season.
A bag of 50kg in the open market is retailing at more than Sh3,200 and the government has yet to communicate whether it will supply subsidised
Private dealers have taken advantage to sell the commodity at higher prices – more than double the cost of subsidised fertiliser. Subsidised fertiliser costs Sh1,800 per 50kg bag.
The government announced plans to roll out e-vouchers to be given to farmers so that they can access subsidies on fertiliser from private dealers, but the roll-out is yet to materialise.
DAP fertiliser which is mostly used for planting, is on high demand in maize producing areas of the North Rift.
Farmers now want the government to cushion them from private dealers by importing subsidised fertiliser.
“The government is quiet on the issues of fertiliser subsidies yet the planting season is so close. The prices being offered by the private dealers are too high for farmers and if nothing is done, then we expect a further drop in maize production this year,” Nandi farmers spokesperson Hellen Saina said.
Last year maize production dropped to about 33 million bags from 44 million bags the previous year, mostly due to the high costs of farm inputs.
She accused the state of ignoring the agriculture sector, leading to declining production.
Farmers have complained of higher costs of fuel and other farm inputs as they prepare to plant. The cost of hiring farm machinery like tractors has also tripled in most areas.
Farmer John Rotich from Moiben constituency, in Uasin Gishu county, said the cost of hiring a tractor for one acre had increased to Sh2,800 from Sh2,500 last year.
Diesel is now going for Sh105.3 per litre which is an increase from Sh103.9 last month and farmers fear the price may further go up.
He said farmers have also been forced to pay Sh2,200 for Last year maize production dropped to about 33 million bags from 44 million bags the previous year, mostly due to the high costs of farm inputs. an acre of land up from sh 1,500 last year.
“We will be forced to cut down on acreage under maize production because of these unaffordable costs,” Rotich said.
Agriculture CS Peter Munya is expected to tour North Rift region to meet farmers and county officials over problems in the agriculture sector, including the fertiliser crisis.
“We expect CS Munya to handle this issue with the seriousness it deserves because the sector is not doing well,”Kenya Farmers Association director Kipkorir Menjo said.
