Kiambu farmers reject low-cost fertiliser over titles

Farmers in Kiambu county are reluctant to buy subsidised fertiliser because one is required to give out their land registration number.

The farmers said they were afraid the information had nothing to do with helping them.

"How can one give their title deed number? This is a cunning way the government is using to go after those who don't pay land rates," Stanley Muturi from Limuru said.

Mary Muthoni said the government should be more interested in whether the fertiliser they are issuing has reached farmers and not who owns what.

Kiambu county assembly Agriculture committee chairman Joseph Mwai said subsidised fertiliser was being sold to farmers selectively.

He urged the National Cereals Produce Board to open depots in every subcounty to ease access to the fertiliser.

The farmers spoke on Wednesday at Kiambu county government headquarters during the signing of an MoU with the Community Driven Development Committee and the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project.

Under the deal, investors will get direct financial and technical assistance from the county government and NARIGP.

Agriculture executive Joseph Kamau said 20 out of the county's 60 wards will be piloted for dairy farming, poultry rearing, tissue culture banana farming and avocado growing.

He said the county government will put in place stringent measures to protect poultry farmers from cheap imported eggs.

"We as a county want to put regulations to cushion our poultry farmers from undue competition from traders from neighbouring countries particularly Uganda who sell their products at very low prices," he said.