13,750 tonnes of subsidised DAP fertiliser land at Mombasa port

The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has imported 13,750 tonnes of subsidised fertiliser, saving farmers from exorbitant prices charged by traders.

The ship carrying the consignment docked on Sunday at the port of Mombasa and the fertiliser will be transported by road and railway to various NCPB depots.

“We have received 13,750 tonnes of DAP planting fertiliser and we shall be distributing to farmers as soon as we are done with the paper work,” said NCPB managing director Newton Terer.

A second ship carrying 32,000 tonnes of NPK 23:23 and NPK 17:17 – which are used for top dressing – will arrive mid next month.

The NCPB will sell a 50 kilogramme bag of the planting fertiliser at Sh1,800, nearly half the Sh3,500 charged by retailers.

The government is keen to lower input costs as a strategy for reducing the cost of food, especially the staple maize, and to boost farmers returns.
The importation comes just a month to the start of the planting season that normally begins in March.

The cargo is part of a 102,000 tonnes of assorted fertiliser that NCPB is planning to import.

Over the weekend, Agriculture secretary Felix Koskei assured farmers of enough maize seed stock and subsidised fertiliser for this season’s planting.

“Kenya Seed Company has increased its seed production from 32 million kilos to 250 million kilos this season to avoid any seed shortages,” said Mr Koskei.

The State wants farmers to embrace other types of fertiliser such as NPK for planting to cut on soil acidity, but many farmers insist on using DAP, citing higher yields.

The ministry of Agriculture has been advocating for the use of lime-based supplements such as Mavuno to neutralise soil acidity.