Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has flagged off subsidized fertilizer to farmers across the country.
Speaking during the exercise at the Harambee House Annex in Nairobi Thursday, Gachagua said that the Kenya Kwanza administration had from the very onset spelt out the prioritization of improving agricultural production through availing affordable and accessible inputs as an intervention.
The DP said that they have identified fertilizer for immediate intervention due to its potential immediate and profound impact on agricultural productivity in the medium term, as well as in the long term.
“Our first pronouncement was to lower fertilizer prices and to set the pace for the implementation of this intervention dubbed, The Fertilizer Subsidy Programme, for which the National Treasury has already availed Sh3.55 billion towards this intervention,” said Gachagua.
He said under the fertilizer subsidy programme, the Government through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), will make available 1.4 million bags of 50 kg of fertilizer to farmers, during the ongoing short rains season at the stipulated prices.
The new fertilizers prices stand at DAP and UREA (Sh3, 275) per 50 kg bag each, Sh2, 875 and Sh3, 500 respectively, whereas NPK will cost (Sh3, 275) MOP (Sh1, 775) and Sulphate of Ammonia (Sh2, 220) per 50 kg bag.
The DP also assured farmers throughout the country that the government was privy to all their fertilizer requirements for the long rainy season in 2023.
At the same time, Gachagua appealed to farmers in the regions where the consignments will be delivered to avail themselves at their respective NCPB Depots and Sub-depots.
“I appeal to farmers in the regions that are receiving the short rains to reach out to local NCPB depots and sub-depots to access the required fertilizer,” he said.
By Hamdi Mohamud
