The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) is seeking to buy 1.657 million 50-kilogramme bags of fertiliser for sell to farmers under the government subsidy programme.
Paperwork on a tender call by NCPB showed that the sought consignment would include 1.06 million bags of planting fertiliser while 597,000 bags will be top-dresser.
“Supply and delivery of various types of fertiliser on consignment-based framework contractual agreement renewable every season (long rains and short rains) for two years under fertiliser subsidy programme,” NCPB said.
Farmers have been buying subsidised fertiliser from NCPB at between Sh1,775 and Sh3,500 per bag. The market price of the farming input is more than Sh6,500 per bag, NCPB said earlier.
The government has set aside Sh10 billion to cater for the fertiliser subsidy programme in the current financial year, which ends in June 2025. This is, however, still a significant cut from the Sh16.2 billion that was spent on the programme in the fiscal year 2023/24.
The programme was one of the few which saw their budgets improve even as others were hit with financing cuts following a reduction in the overall budget.
The State targets to distribute 93,283 tonnes of subsidised fertiliser during the financial year.
To be eligible for the programme, farmers register through county, sub-county, or ward agricultural offices.
“You can get the subsidised fertiliser from any of the nearest NCPB depots within the county where you are registered,” says the board. Each registered farmer is restricted to a maximum of 100 bags for both planting and top-dressing fertiliser per season.
The fertiliser subsidy programme has been mired in controversy, with farmers being given substandard fertiliser during this year’s long-rain planting season.
The input is critical in increasing crop yields. About 45 percent of the fertiliser that is sold in Kenya is used to grow maize, which is the country’s staple food .
