Government defends quality of fertiliser amid expose
The government has assured farmers that fertilizer available for use ahead of the planting season has met all necessary tests.
Crops Development Principal Secretary Paul Rono stressed that the fertilizer currently under distribution through the National Cereal and Produce Board has undergone quality tests and was above board.
The PS said 1.2 million bags of fertilizer have already been distributed to farmers across the country.
A further 3 million will be distributed in the coming month.
“The government researched to under the fertiliser required for our soils. I assure farmers what we are distributing has undergone verification tests,” said Rono.
He made the remarks during a meeting with stakeholders in Eldoret town.
He was accompanied by Nandi Governor Stephen Sang, MPs Abraham Kirwa (Mosop), Bernard Kitur (Nandi Hills), and Paul Byego (Chesumei).
“I know the press recently reported on issues with fertiliser and their will be a response to that,” he confirmed.
The PS observed the government had imported 12.5 million bags of fertilizer to support farmers to increase food production so that the country attains food security to lower the cost of living.
The government is distributing four varieties of fertilizer including OCP, Mavuno, Fomi Otesha brands retailing at Sh2500 per 50 kg bag at the National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB).
Others are the Yara Power and Yara Micro-planting fertilizer retailing at Sh4500 and Sh3690 respectively.
The PS said the government had hired an additional 300 casual workers at the National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB) stores to fast-track boost efficiencies in the distribution of the farm inputs.
Dr Rono added; “We are distributing the fertilisers based on seasons and weather patterns. We started with Bungoma, Narok, and South Rift and from March, this part of the North Rift, and from May we will move to counties in the Central region before going to Asal areas”.
Some seed growers appealed to the government to subsidize the prices of the Yara to Sh3000 from Sh4500 per 50 kilos to enable them to improve on yields.
“We want to appeal to the government to reduce prices because of the cost of fuel and labour. We also want the state to buy our seed at Sh120 per kilogram from the Sh88 per kilo,” said Baron Liyenge, a seed grower from Trans Nzoia County.
Abednego Sengwer, Yara East Africa regional manager in the North Rift, confirmed the availability of adequate fertilizer in stock to support farmers.
“Last season, through our good agronomic practices that increased yields from 1200 tonnes per acre to 2000 tonnes per acre for the seed growers,’ said Mr Sengwer.
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