With just a month to the start of this year’s planting season, Agriculture PS Hamadi Boga said the ministry would need between Sh5 billion to Sh8 billion to address the current cost.
The PS said that it was unlikely the current cost will come down by planting time because of the high global prices amid a shortage of funds for subsidy.
Farmers will have to bear with the high cost of fertiliser this year after the government failed to allocate a subsidies budget.
With just a month to the start of this year’s planting season, Agriculture PS Hamadi Boga said the ministry would need between Sh5 billion to Sh8 billion to address the current cost.
He said they so far have Sh1.2 billion for fertiliser, which will only be distributed under the e-voucher programme that targets a few farmers.
The PS said that it was unlikely the current cost will come down by planting time because of the high global prices amid a shortage of funds for subsidy.
“It is unlikely that the cost will come down unless we get the funding,” said Prof Boga in an interview.
Last week, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said he had prepared a Cabinet memo to discuss the high cost of the supplement that has caused an uproar from farmers.
Prof Boga said they are working on a proposal that would enable them to get more funding from the Treasury to address the plight of farmers.
Fertiliser for maize farmers was not included in the supplementary budget for 2021/22, however, other crops such as coffee and tea received Sh1 billion each with sugar getting Sh1.5 billion.
The high cost of fertiliser is likely to compromise maize production this year adding pressure on food security, given that Kenya itself is a maize deficit country and relies on cross-border imports to meet the annual demand.’
Kipkorir Menjo, director with Kenya Farmers Association said farmers will be forced to cut down on acreage and those who will plant will minimise the use of fertiliser.
“We want to urge the government to address the issue of fertiliser, the cost is just unbearable for farmers who are already grappling with the high cost of farm inputs,” said Mr Menjo.
The government stopped fertiliser subsidies issued through the National Cereals and Produce Board three years ago and instead introduced an e-voucher programme that targets a small section of farmers, mainly the small-scale holders.
