There's enough fertiliser for planting season, says Linturi

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has assured farmers that there will be enough fertiliser for the planting season by mid-February.

Farmers from the North Rift region have started preparing land for planting during the long rains season.

The planting season will begin from mid February to early March.

Until then, farmers are expected to purchase fertiliser on time for planting and top dressing.

In December last year, Linturi said the government will provide 7 million bags of fertiliser to farmers for the 2024 long and short rains seasons.

He said the ministry finished the evaluation of tenders for the supply of maize and potatoes fertiliser.

"We are also working on a mechanism with the county governments to deliver the last one," he said. 

"We have asked the governors to get warehouses and the ministry will provide the technical experts for the dispensation of fertiliser through the e-voucher system.”

The last two years have seen the government give fertiliser subsidy to cushion farmers against the high cost of the commodity.

The subsidy programme was followed by a farmer registration exercise and the deployment of an accurate and transparent e-voucher system for managing distribution.

The programme was launched in January last year when most farmers from the North Rift region, the breadbasket of the country, were preparing for the long rains season.

During the launch of the subsidy programme, President William Ruto said for the first time in more than a decade, fertiliser reached farmers in time to prepare for planting.

“We delivered 2,000,000 50 kg bags to farmers. Similarly, since the onset of the long rains season in 2023, we prepared farmers in 41 counties and delivered to them 3,536,162 bags of crop specific and region-specific fertilisers. In the process, more than five million farmers were issued with 3,628,512 e-vouchers and last-mile distribution centres were established,” he said.

“For the first time in our country’s history, we are providing farmers with fertiliser whose formulation is customised to feed crops with their specific requirement of elements and address local soil nutrient composition."

In November 2023, Ruto approved the Supplementary Budget of Sh8.25 billion for the fertiliser subsidy.

The move was expected to increase farm productivity and improve food security in the country.

In 2022, Ruto directed that subsidised fertiliser be given only to registered farmers through e-wallet arrangements.

“Fertilisers have been identified as a key input to be subsidised by the government in line with the Kenya Kwanza government manifesto,” he said.

The government had committed 388,000 metric tonnes of various fertilisers for the 2023 long rains.

Twelve counties in North and South Rift among them, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Elgeiyo Marakwet, Nakuru, Kericho, Bomet, Narok and West Pokot were selected to pilot the first phase of the subsidy programme.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said only registered farmers will benefit from the subsidy programme.

So far, more than four million farmers have registered across the country and stand to enjoy the subsidised fertiliser.

The registration exercise sought to enhance traceability, accountability and transparency in the implementation of the fertiliser subsidy programme.

Gachagua said the subsidised fertiliser programme was to bring down the cost of fertiliser, from a high of Sh6,500 per 50 kg bag to the current price of Sh2,500 per bag.

He said the process will be continuous to ensure all farmers are data-captured.

Chiefs and assistant chiefs will coordinate the process.

“This will help to make sure that genuine farmers benefit from the national fertiliser subsidy programme,” he said.

Gachagua said the registration process will require strong collaboration and support from the national and county governments and partners.