North Rift farmers have yet to receive fertiliser, usually transported from Mombasa, due to the ongoing curfew.
The planting season is ongoing and the farmers and regional governors have asked the government to classify fertiliser transport as an essential service.
That classification would allow trucks with fertilisers on the roads during the curfew hours.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago and Trans Nzoia's Patrick Khaemba said unless farmers access fertiliser the country will face food shortages.
“It’s important that even as we fight the coronavirus our farmers in this region should be able to plant so that we have enough food after we are done with Covid-19,” Mandago said.
Mandago said that fertiliser trucks were taking more than a week to load and move from Mombasa to Eldoret and other parts of the region.
“This is quite a long time because the planting season is going on and farmers have no fertiliser,” Mandago said.
Governor Stephen Sang of Nandi has also warned of possible food crisis after the war on coronavirus.
He said fears over the spread of the virus and control measures being enforced by the government are hurting the agriculture sector.
“We must not allow a situation where we will plunge into another crisis if, God willing, we manage to deal with the current coronavirus situation,” Sang said.
The government should support farmers to quickly plant food crops as we deal with the virus, he said.
At the same time, the farmers have petitioned Agriculture CS Peter Munya not to allow maize imports until NCPB buys all stock still held locally.
The farmers led by spokesman Kipkorir Menjo said the government should mop up all the maize they have in the country before opting for importation.
Moiben MP Sila Tiren has urged the government to instruct the Strategic Food Reserves (SFR) board to use Sh10 billion at its disposal to buy maize from farmers.
Tiren said the country is facing a possible emergency situation and the government should quickly move and ensure the NCPB has adequate stock.
(edited by o. owino)
