Fertiliser subsidy: Vihiga among four counties added to programme
Workers offload bags of CAN subsidy fertiliser for top dressing at the National Cereals and Produce Board depot in Elburgon. The number of counties benefitting from the national fertiliser subsidy programme has been increased to 16 from 12.
The Ministry of Agriculture has increased the number of counties benefitting from the national fertiliser subsidy programme to 16 after it added four others to the list of beneficiaries.
The decision that is meant to spur food production and lower prices of essential commodities has seen Vihiga, Siaya, Busia and Kajiado counties added to the list that initially had 12 counties.
Agriculture Principal Secretary Kello Harsama said the decision was reached following the good performance of the 2023 long rains season.
The Sh231.1 million programme that was rolled out early this year is intended to cushion farmers against high fertiliser prices.
Mr Harsama said the Ministry is pleased with the progress made towards implementation of the national fertiliser subsidy programme in the target counties.
“Based on the good performance of the 2023 long rains season, there is need to support farmers in additional counties to ensure that the government objective of availing quality inputs at affordable prices is realised,” Mr Harsama said in a letter communicating expansion of the programme.
Vihiga, Busia, Siaya and Kajiado rely on the March-April-May rainfall season for production of food commodities.
The Principal Secretary noted that farmers in the four counties had already registered a substantial number of farmers who can benefit from the inputs during the listing exercise.
Mr Harsama directed the Managing Director of Kenya National Trading Corporation, Pamela Mutua, to make the necessary arrangements for farmers in the four added regions to access the subsidised fertilisers.
Vihiga County Agriculture Executive Mr Nicholas Kitungulu confirmed receipt of the communication that is coming in long after the planting season started.
Mr Kitungulu however said they have been informed the county will receive both the planting and top dressing fertiliser subsidy.
"I thank the national government for adding Vihiga on the list of counties that will benefit from the fertiliser subsidy. As a department, we have received this communication," said Mr Kitungulu.
He added: "Many of our farmers have planted but the good thing is that the subsidy includes top dressing fertiliser. We urge our farmers to get ready to receive the fertiliser."
By February, at least 836,836 e-vouchers amounting to Sh231.1million had been issued to maize farmers in 10 counties across the country under the subsidised fertiliser programme.
The data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and the office of the State House Spokesperson at the time showed the number of maize farmers who had redeemed their vouchers was 4,949, translating to 63,270 bags of fertiliser.
The programme has 1.1 million maize farmers registered on the platform set up to address food insecurity in the country.
The country's production is about 30 million bags of maize annually against an annual consumption of approximately 45 million bags.
Under the fertiliser subsidy programme, farmers are expected to receive six million 50kg bags of fertilizer for planting and an additional four million bags for top dressing with each going for a maximum of Sh3,500.
