More than a half a million farmers in 40 counties have so far accessed the subsidised fertiliser from the government.
This is according to the cabinet secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mithika Linturi who says that about 500,436 farmers benefited from some 3,302,683 bags of subsidised fertilizer issued by the government.
The CS, in a statement to lawmakers in Parliament, also said that the government was working on plans to reduce prices of top-dressing CAN fertilizer and its distribution across the country to boost food production.
Linturi acknowledged the relatively high cost of CAN fertilizer, which is currently retailing at Sh5400 per 50kg bag, down from Sh5900 the previous year.
He argued that the price is influenced by factors like international FOB price, freight charges, handling, and exchange rate fluctuations. However, he noted that global prices have been decreasing.
“Only registered farmers in the e-voucher system can access subsidised fertilizers through National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) selling centers,” said Linturi.
The statement comes at a time when lawmakers have been raising concerns over the distribution mechanism of the subsidised fertiliser. Some MPs and members of the public have argued that the fertiliser had not reached most of the intended farmers.
But the CS, in his statement said that the government is making strides to improve access to fertilizers.
He added that part of this plan was to initiate partnerships with county governments as well as to open more selling centers through the NCPB to facilitate the distribution of subsidy fertilizers.
In terms of availability of subsidised fertiliser, CS Linturi reported that during the ongoing long rains season, a significant quantity of fertilizers had been accessed by farmers across 40 counties. Notably, 16,289 farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet have received fertilizers for various crops.
“The government currently holds a stock of 700,000 bags of fertilizer, accessible to registered farmers through the e-voucher system. Plans are underway to procure an extra 115,500 MT of assorted fertilizers to bolster existing stocks,” Linturi added.