The government will implement measures to reverse declining soil fertility that has led to reduced food production, Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi has said.
He said the decline in soil fertility is a major threat to food security and his ministry will test soils collected from farmers to implement the intervention measures.
In some areas the government will distribute lime to farmers to neutralise the acidity on the farms.
“Moving forward we will ensure that farmers get soil specific fertiliser so they do not use inputs that worsen the situation,” Linturi said.
The CS spoke after touring NCPB depots in North Rift to inspect the ongoing distribution of subsidised fertiliser to farmers. He toured the South Rift region of Mosotiot in Nandi, Eldoret, Kitale and Kapenguria NCPB depots.
He said the government had supplied adequate fertiliser for farmers to use during the ongoing planting exercise in most high producing areas.
Linturi said the distribution was going on smoothly in all areas and the exercise would extend to far-flung areas in Elgeyo Marakwet county where farmers have been forced to travel to Eldoret to access the fertiliser.
“I assure farmers that the government is keen to help them produce adequate food for this country and that is why President Ruto has directed that we have adequate subsidised fertiliser in all areas,” the CS said.
The government plans to distribute more than seven million bags of subsidised fertiliser to farmers countrywide. Farmers are buying the fertiliser at Sh3,500 per 50kg bag instead of the market price, which now stands at averagely Sh6,500 for the same quantity.
“We can only reduce the cost of living through demonstration for hard work on the farms and not on the streets,” Linturi said.
The CS urged farmers to ensure they are registered because the government will use the same details to extend the subsidy programmes to other farm inputs other than fertiliser.
Farmers' representatives, led by Thomas Korogoren, asked the CS to hold public participation so they can also suggest measures that will help to increase food production.
The farmers said agriculture institutions like the NCPB, Agriculture Finance Corporation (AFC) and the ADC are well-funded to help increase production.
