Farmers to get input subsidies in Covid recovery plan

A trader displays farm produce in Kakamega town on December 20, 2020. Farmers said Covid-19 has affected businesses compared to the previous year when they recorded high profits. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

The Agriculture ministry is scaling up the e-voucher system through which smallholder farmers access farm inputs at subsidised rates as among measures to help the economy recover from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The system, where farmers get vouchers to buy inputs from participating agro-dealers, is currently in use across 12 counties but the ministry said it will increase the number to 37.