At least 63,000 out of 81,000 registered farmers have benefitted from the coffee fertiliser subsidy programme in 14 counties.
Timothy Mirugi, New Kenya Planters Cooperative Union managing director, said this year the government started a Sh1 billion Coffee Farm Inputs Subsidy Programme to cushion farmers against high costs of fertiliser.
A 50kg bag of fertiliser has reached Sh6,000.
“We are serving all the farmers regardless of whether they are affiliated to the New KPCU or not,” he said.
Mirugi said the farmers have benefited from a subsidy of Sh255 million across the various counties.
He said in the subsidy programme, farmers are required to pay 60 per cent while the government subsidies with 40 per cent.
For example, if a bag of fertiliser is selling at Sh6,000, the farmer will provide Sh3,600 while the government waives the remaining Sh2,400.
“Farmers have paid Sh383 million as a key requirement to qualify for the subsidy programme. Sh638.8 million has been used so far to buy and distribute fertiliser to the farmers,” he said.
“The number of beneficiaries is out of 81,000 farmers who have registered for the programme as at end of May 31.”
Kirinyaga is the leading where 17,386 farmers have benefitted from Sh289,000, followed by Nyeri with 18, 822 farmers who have benefited from around Sh139,000.
In Meru, 4,844 farmers have benefitted from Sh33.3 million, Kiambu with 4,543 farmers from Sh29 million and in Machakos, 2,338 farmers benefitted from Sh8.2 million.
Bungoma and Kisii have the lowest beneficiaries with 80 farmers receiving Sh837,000 and nine farmers having received Sh740,000 respectively.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
