Kiambu Farmers Benefit from Subsidised Fertiliser.

Kiambu farmers have got a reason to smile after the national government started the disbursement of the long awaited subsidised fertiliser to cushion them from the high costs of farm inputs.  

Farmers from Thogoto, Kikuyu Sub-County were the first to benefit from the consignment on Tuesday morning from National Government and Kiambu County Government through the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.

Another 560 bags of N:P:K (23:23:0) fertilizer were later transported to Kamwangi in Gatundu North.

The fertiliser was made available at a subsidised price of Kshs 1800 per a 50Kg bag compared to a market value of between Kshs 3500 – 3800 per 50Kg.

The farmers will also be supplied with CAN, Urea and DAP fertilisers at subsidised prices.

Kiambu Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries C.E.C. Dr. Monicah Waiganjo said that the fertiliser subsidy would go a long way in boosting small scale farmers’ revenue as well as drive increased crop production in the area. Farmers are therefore likely to get better returns this year compared to what they received last year.

She said that her office had worked out methodology with the national government as to how the fertiliser would be distributed among deserving farmers though there were certain conditions that the farmers had to meet first.

She added that the county government had set coffee, tea, horticulture and dairy sectors as priorities since they had a huge capacity to boost the area’s economic growth.

She said that they had drawn a strategic plan to help implement a value addition chain framework which she said had been lacking forcing Kiambu farmers to sell products in raw form.

“Value addition has been lacking and this has made farmers sell produce at throw away prices, if we have to make good money in the agricultural sector, value addition must be embraced,” she said.

“We need to improve the level of production to ensure adequate supply in both local and external markets,” she added.

Subsidised fertiliser imported by the Government arrived in Mombasa on Friday, 26th February 2016. The 104,000 tonne consignment has now been delivered to National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores countrywide.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Willy Bett warned middlemen against attempting to frustrate farmers by cashing in on the shortage and selling the input at Sh 3,000 per 50-Kg bag. He said senior managers at NCPB depots will be expected to file returns for the Ministry to monitor the uptake of the fertiliser.