Governor Wangamati hands fertilizer to needy in Bungoma County

It was a boost for farmers in Bungoma County as H.E. Governor Wycliffe Wangamati launched free and subsidised fertilizer to the needy and vulnerable households Mabanga FTC - in Bungoma on Wednesday, March 14, 2018.

A total of 33,700 across the County or 750 people per ward are earmarked to benefit from the free fertilizer. This represents an increase from the 465 beneficiaries that had been budgeted for in the 2017-2018 budget.

Another 148,000 bags of fertilizer will be available to farmers at a subsidised price of KSh1,500 o'er 50kg bag as part of the Governor’s Input Subsidy Programme. The current market price of fertilizer is KSh3,500.

The Governor said Kenya has a shortage of 15,000,000 bags from a demand of 50,000,000 bags of maize. “As a County, we have to improve our harvest so as to fill up the gap",he said.

Speaking at the event also attended by CEC Agriculture Hon Mathews Makanda and CEC Trade Gregory Naulikha, MCAs and farmers, the Governor said the bags of fertilizer will be delivered to wards by County vehicles.

He said he had reached an agreement with the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) that they begin receiving maize from farmers by June at Ksh3,200.

As a safeguard against low prices, the Governor said he will also be presenting a Bill before the County Assembly to create a Farmers’ Fund. “Through the Farmers’ Fund, we will be able to motivate farmers, buy, process, package and store all farm produce until the time is right to sell,” he said, adding that the Fund will also provide emergency funding to farmers during the time their produce is in the stores.

He also promised to embark on massive construction, expansion and upgrade of roads across the County from next week as part of the efforts to ease movement of harvest from the farms to the markets.

The CEC Agriculture Hon Makanda said the County was projecting an improved harvest from 4.5 million bags to 5.5 bags as a result of the subsidy programme.

He stated that the department was already in the process of reviewing the fertilizer program in Bungoma so as to improve the efficiency and impact at both household and macro-economic level.

The free and subsidised fertilizer and free tractors services are part of the Input Subsidy Programme targeted at improving food security at household levels. To effectively empower the poor, the County launched a program ploughing farms for the widows and elderly in Bungoma. A total of 60 beneficiaries are earmarked to benefit in each ward.

He revealed that the County had distributed 5 milk coolers to Kimaeti, Kaptama, Mihuu, Maeni and Kibingei ward. The CEC further indicated that they were in the process of coming up with policies on cassava, dairy, fisheries and cooperatives.