By Titus Too
Farmers in the North Rift want fertiliser to be available throughout the year rather than at the beginning of each planting season.
This, they say, would enable the efficient farming of short seasoned crops that would eventually boast food security.
“Distribution of fertiliser should not be seasonal as is done currently. Current supplies done once a year have disadvantaged farmers who plant beans, potatoes and vegetables that supplement food crops produced once a year,” said Mary Wainaina, a farmer in Uasin Gishu County.
“The Government should not only wait for the long rains around March and April to avail fertiliser. Small-scale farmers want the input throughout the year for production of short season crops,” she said.
Ms Wainaina spoke to the Press at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depot in Eldoret where a section of farmers protested delays in distribution of this season’s inputs.
High Demand
The farmers who have already paid for the subsidised fertiliser expressed fears that they may not get the commodity due to high demand at the current planting rush hour.
“We lease land to produce food crops like beans that take three months to be harvested. There should be steady supply of fertiliser throughout the year to boost food productivity,” said Wainaina.
Further, maize farmers have raised concerns over the long process they take to access the Government’s subsidised fertiliser.
Former Marakwet East legislator John Marimoi said the State should distribute fertiliser to all depots at county levels to ease congestion at the Eldoret regional depot.
“Farmers are forced to travel from Nandi and Elgeyo/Marakwet counties to access subsidised fertiliser yet there are NCPB depots,” he said.
