NCPB assures farmers of ample fertiliser supplies

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi (Centre) checks record of fertiliser at Intracom fertiliser production factory in Dodoma, Tanzania during a fact-finding mission on fertiliser production in Tanzania on February 3,2023. [Jacinta Mutura,Standard]

The National Cereals and Produce Board has assured farmers of the availability of adequate and fairly priced fertilisers ahead of the planting season.

As the rains set in, farmers had called on the board to ensure enough supply of varieties of fertilisers.

NCPB Communications Manager Titus Maiyo said the government is committed to enhancing national food security by providing subsidised fertilsiers to registered farmers through the e-voucher system.

He said currently, NCPB and Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) are supplying Yara Microp, KynoMaize and NPK23:23 at a subsidised price of Sh3,500.

The prices will apply to all farmers registered in the subsidised fertiliser programme.

Maiyo also said farmers could purchase special premium fertilisers at subsidised prices of Sh4,050, and for YaraMila Power, YaraVera Amidas (Sh3,950) and YaraBela Sulfan (Sh3,800).

"All the subsidised fertilisers are of high quality and are recommended for maximum crop yields. Further, the fertiliser is adequate, and farmers should not panic," he said in a statement, as he challenged farmers to obtain the input in good time.

Some farmers at Kitale's NCPB depots had raised concern after they were being offered the YaraMila Power fertiliser at Sh4,050 per bag.

Abednego Sengwer, a territory manager at Yara East Africa, said an agreement was reached between the company, the government and seed growers, which saw the sthree fertilizers, not initially listed in the subsidy programme, included.

He said a letter, through the county government to the national government, culminated in an agreement in which willing farmers had to pay an additional fee which pushed the price of fertiliser from Sh3,500, which the government had initially set, to Sh 4,050, for premium fertiliser options.

But the increment, which he attributed to the higher quality and weight of the products, only targeted specific types of the input, even as the prices for the other varieties remained at Sh3,500. T

"The government agreed to the request by seed growers to include the three fertiliser types; YaraMila Power, YaraVera Amidas and YaraBela Sulfan to the subsidy programme as long as farmers agree to top up the extra charge. All the other fertilisers continue to retail at Sh 3,500," said Sengwer.