A worker helping to offload subsidized fertilizer at the NCPB depot in Eldoret
The National Cereals and Produce Board says it has so far
supplied more than four million bags of top-dressing fertiliser to farmers in
the North Rift region.
The board says demand for fertiliser has increased
significantly this year compared to the previous planting season.
NCPB regional manager Gilbert Rotich said farmers in the
region had, by two weeks ago, received more than 3.27 million bags of
top-dressing fertiliser.
“The amount was already higher than the 3.5 million bags we
distributed last season,” Rotich said.
He added that in the last two days, the board had supplied
an additional 130,000 bags to the Eldoret depot, with more consignments on the
way to ease the shortages.
“We are on course to ensure farmers can access adequate
fertiliser for both planting and top dressing,” he said.
Rotich said the government had engaged suppliers to speed up
the delivery of top-dressing fertiliser to avoid further shortages.
He added that there were adequate supplies currently in
transit from Mombasa to various depots across the region.
“We will satisfy the demand from our farmers within the next
few days,” he said.
However, the shortages have sparked concern among farmers in
the region, with hundreds staging protests at the NCPB depot in Eldoret over
delays in supply despite earlier assurances that deliveries would be made on
time.
The farmers, led by Jane Kwambai, said they had been
visiting NCPB depots for the past two weeks without success, as CAN fertiliser
used for top dressing maize in high-producing counties remained unavailable.
“We are frustrated because NCPB officials have been promising
that fertiliser will be delivered, but so far nothing has arrived. We are
incurring transport costs and other expenses that could be avoided,” she said.
Another farmer, Duncan Sanchez, said it was surprising that
during the planting season NCPB had abundant stocks of fertiliser that was not
required at the time.
“Now that we need top-dressing fertiliser, the depots have
more planting fertiliser, which we do not require in large quantities at this
moment. We are asking the government to act,” he said.
Sanchez warned that delays in supplying fertiliser could
negatively affect maize production, with farmers risking reduced yields and
poor crop quality.
“We now have rains and need to apply fertiliser. Otherwise,
we risk wasting our maize crops,” he said, adding that farmers had been queuing
at depots day and night without success.
Stephen Korat, a farmer from Elgeyo Marakwet county, said
the subsidised top-dressing fertiliser costs Sh2,500 per 50kg bag, but farmers
were spending double that amount on transport and related costs while searching
for the commodity.
He called on President William Ruto to intervene, urging
swift action to resolve the shortages within the week and warning of possible
protests if the situation persists.
Farmers’ spokesperson Kipkorir Menjo said the government
must prioritise the timely supply of farm inputs such as fertiliser to sustain
food production and safeguard national food security.
