The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is in discussions with sector players on ways of incorporating crop-specific fertilizer blends into the subsidy program to ensure farmers receive tailored inputs for better yields.
Agriculture CS Dr. Andrew Karanja said that they are prioritizing local blending and building capacity for domestic fertilizer production to reduce reliance on imports and strengthen local supply chains.
Speaking in Nairobi during a consultative meeting with the Fertilizer Association of Kenya (FA-K), Dr. Karanja outlined key strategies to enhance agricultural productivity and strengthen public-private sector collaboration.
The CS emphasized the critical role of the private sector in agricultural support programs, particularly in the last-mile delivery of subsidized inputs.
“We are committed to using Agro-dealers in the last-mile delivery system. Our aim is not to disrupt the private sector but to complement it,” he stated, highlighting the government’s collaborative approach to fostering agricultural growth.
Dr. Karanja reassured farmers that preparations for the 2025 long rains season were well on track saying that the subsidized fertilizer will be in the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores by January 2024.
“This timely delivery will ensure farmers are well-prepared for the planting season,” he assured.
Dr. Karanja revealed plans to expand the subsidy program by developing a “farmer wallet” for subsidy redemption which will include livestock farmers.
“This digital innovation will simplify access to subsidies and extend benefits to livestock farmers, ensuring inclusivity in our agricultural transformation agenda,” Dr. Karanja explained.
He said that sometimes they are unfair to livestock farmers because they give fertilizer to crop farmers and the others might feel left out.
“We are going to have discussions on giving farmers a wallet where they can choose because in other countries and jurisdictions what they give is a wallet where the farmer can choose what they want to buy and this way a farmer with a dairy cow might want dairy meal and not fertilizer,” said Dr. Karanja.
He explained that initially the focus was on food crops, but there is need to also incorporate livestock since it is also food.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
