Sharp drop in fertiliser imports to compound Kenya food crisis

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua when he flagged off a consignment of Subsidised fertiliser to various parts of the country on September 22, 2022. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

Kenya's chemical fertiliser imports dropped by almost half in the second quarter of this year, precipitating a food crisis as farmers planted their crops without the critical input.

A new report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that imported chemical fertilisers - which include Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium - declined by 48 per cent to 98,915 tonnes between April and June compared to 191,944 tonnes in the same period last year.