The
fertilizer subsidy in Kenya is a program by the government aimed at helping
farmers to access fertiliser at a bit lower price. Under this program, the cost
of fertilizer will be reduced from Ksh6,000 per 50kg bag to Ksh3,500.
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| Subsidized fertilizer by the government of Kenya |
In
January this year, the government of Kenya kicked off the training of deputy
county commissioners, cooperative officers, chiefs, assistant chiefs and other
government administrators who will be helping in the distribution of the subsidized
fertiliser. The target is to distribute 6 million bags of fertilizer to farmers
before the next rainy season of April to June 2023.
The
fertilizer subsidy program targets 12 counties where most of the maize and
other staple foods are produced. These are Narok, Bungoma, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru,
Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Migori, Kakamega, Bomet, Kericho, Elgeyo Marakwet and
Nandi. It is part of the government’s plans reduce the cost of food production
in the country, hence reducing the cost of living.
Which fertilisers will be availed
Under
this program, farmers will get planting fertilizer such as Microp from
Yara Kenya and NPK for top-dressing such as Kynomaizeic NPK. About 2.1 million
farmers will benefit from the subsidy program in the first phase.
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| Planting and NPK fertilizers to be supplied by GOK under fertilizer subsidy program |
How will farmers access the fertilizers
Farmers
will be picking the subsidized fertilisers from the National Cereals and
Produce Board (NCPB) stations nearest to them. NCPB is working together with the
Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) and other state agencies in the
distribution process to ensure that as many farmers as possible get the
subsidized fertilisers before the rains start.
For
you to access the subsidized fertilisers, you must register under the e-voucher
system. This system was rolled by the government to not only ensure
traceability and full accountability of the distribution process but also to address
the challenges that farmers faced such as travelling long distances and failure
to get enough of the inputs.
How to register on the fertilizer subsidy e-voucher system
To
access the subsidized fertiliser, a farmer registers on the e-voucher system
through their phone by dialling *707#. In the registration process, the farmer
provides details of the size of land and the type of fertilizer they need. They
then pay via Mpesa or Airtel Money and get issued with an e-voucher which they
will use to collect the fertilizer from their nearest depot. The assistant
chiefs can help in this process.
How much fertilizer is a farmer entitled to?
Farmers
are allowed to buy only the amount of fertilizer they need for their size of
land. For example, a farmer with 1 acre can only be able to purchase 2 bags of
fertilizer.
Is
the subsidized fertilizer already available?
As of 10th of February 2023, the government subsidized fertilizer was already available for farmers to collect in the
following areas:
- Trans Nzoia county at Local NCPBs
- Kericho Farmers County at the Kipkelion NCPB depot
- Nakuru
- Narok
- Uasin Gishu
- Nandi
While NCPB stations are the assigned depots of the fertilizer, the Council of Governors, Agriculture committee said they will encourage decentralization of the collection points in order to bring them closer to the farmers.
