President Ruto announces subsidized fertilizer access for 5 million registered farmers
President William Ruto has said that over five million registered farmers can now access subsidised fertiliser from various National Cereals Produce Board (NCPB) stores across the country starting tomorrow.
Speaking after a church service in Ruai, Deliverance Church International, Ruto stated that his administration had determined that greater production and availability to subsidised fertilizer were the most workable and long-lasting ways to reduce the cost of food.
Prior to the upcoming planting season, the government will supply six million bags of fertiliser at a subsidised price of KES 3,500 per bag.
President Ruto sent Gachagua to Mombasa on Friday to evaluate the packing and distribution of this fertiliser so that farmers might receive it by March 15, 2023, at the latest.
“In compliance with the Presidential directive, this morning I visited two factories to ascertain that we are on course. In addition, at the Mombasa Railway Terminus, I flagged off 35,680 bags destined for farmers in Nakuru and Bungoma counties,” Gachagua noted.
Gachagua said that farmers in Narok, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Migori, Kakamega, Bomet, Kericho, Elgeyo Marakwet and Nandi counties already had access to the fertilisers at the NCPB depots.
In order to deliver subsidized fertilisers and influence agricultural policies, the government initiated a nationwide campaign to register farmers.
The goal of the operation was to develop a digitalized national farmer record that will make it easier to spot rogue traders and impostors who have been taking advantage of farmers by accessing and reselling the subsidized fertilisers at higher costs.
The ready-made database will give farmers managed access to government programs and enhance openness, accountability, and traceability in the operation of fertiliser subsidy schemes.