Police impound subsidised fertiliser being sold illegally

Police have impounded 58 bags of subsidised fertiliser worth Sh100,000 in Burnt Forest.

This follows a tip-off from the public that National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) branded CAN fertiliser packed in 50kg bags was being sold fraudulently.

When police stormed the premise they found hundreds of bags had been emptied and the fertiliser sold. Those suspected to be behind the illegal trade dodged the police dragnet.

The fertiliser is part of a Government consignment meant to benefit small-scale farmers but unscrupulous businessmen had taken advantage of the low-cost fertiliser to exploit them. Farmers in the region have been crying foul over shortage of the crucial farm input.

The owner of the shop where the fertiliser was found is said to have sold more than 180 bags of fertiliser at Sh3,000 each. At NCPB stores, the recommended price is Sh1,500.

Attempts by police to access another store, which had been stocked with more than 800 bags of Government fertiliser, failed after the owner locked it and fled after learning of the impending raid.

ROGUE OFFICERS

“We cannot break into the store and seize the consignment, which we understand is in packed in 50kg bags, until we get a court order,” said County Deputy Criminal Investigation Officer Ali Samata who led the operation.

Mr Samata said they had identified several spots in the county where Government-subsidised fertiliser was being sold to unsuspecting farmers at exorbitant prices.

He said the traders were working in cahoots with rogue Ministry of Agriculture officers, adding that this had led to an artificial fertiliser shortage at NCPB.

The consignment was loaded onto a police lorry and transported to Eldoret police station while the owner of the store was ordered to report to the station and record a statement.

“We are carrying out investigations against some chiefs and the Ministry of Agriculture officers based at sub-county and ward levels that we suspect are involved in the mega scandal of selling subsidised fertiliser in the country,” he said.

Last month maize and wheat farmers complained of shortage of the subsidised fertiliser at the NCPB Eldoret depot.

North Rift Director of Kenya Farmer Association Kipkorir Menjo accused unscrupulous dealers of being behind the shortage of the commodity and asked the Government to address the situation.

“This is a serious syndicate and the Government should address this menace once and for all. A majority of farmers never top-dressed their maize due to lack of CAN, which is in turn being sold by traders,” he said.

In May, 4,000 bags of DAP fertiliser were seized in Kitale in similar circumstances. In the same period, 444 bags were discovered in Meru.