Brokers put on notice as officials unearth cheap fertiliser racket
Workers offload fertiliser from a truck to a godown at the National Cereals and Produce Board, Eldoret depot in Uasin Gishu County on April 4, 2022.
Security officials in Nandi County have exposed a racket where brokers and people masquerading as farmers have been flocking National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots and stores and obtaining subsidised fertiliser.
Nandi County Commissioner Herman Shambi said brokers and fake farmers have been exploiting all possible loopholes to acquire the cheap fertiliser. Security officials in the county are now threatening to arrest unscrupulous traders exploiting the subsidy programme.
Mr Shambi directed chiefs and their assistants to ensure that all genuine farmers in the county are registered to the scheme.
He also asked Nyumba Kumi officials and village elders to ensure all genuine farmers are registered to the subsidy scheme.
“All chiefs, their assistants, village elders and Nyumba Kumi officials in Nandi must implement the government’s directive and have farmers in the six sub-counties registered and ensure they receive fertiliser, while ensuring brokers are kicked out,” said Mr Shambi during a meeting with chiefs in Nandi Central.
Farmers were asked to provide truthful information to enable the government do proper planning using the new system.
Mr Shambi assured farmers that the security team had sent out information to various religious organisations, adding that the county would work with all stakeholders to share useful information so as to boost food production.
Farmers have demanded that the government should ensure that cheap fertiliser is readily available in government stores in all sub-counties before the planting season starts next month.
Maize grower Zakary Kuto also asked the national government to consider reducing fuel prices, saying, many farmers were unable to increase the acreage under maize because of high production costs.
