Subsidised fertiliser: Farmers in limbo after Kagwe says 27,000 bags have expired

Panic has gripped farmers after government ordered the destruction of 27,518 bags of expired fertiliser at various National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots amid fears that some farmers may have stockpiled the input ahead of this season's planting.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the fertiliser expired on February 28 and he had ordered its destruction.

Many farmers in maize-growing areas are now reluctant to buy subsidised fertiliser, despite the government pumping billions of shillings into the scheme to improve the country's food security.

They doubt the quality of the fertiliser because of previous scandals that have plagued its distribution, exposing them to heavy losses as this season's planting gets underway, especially in the North Rift region, the country's food basket.

While some farmers have opted for the more expensive but better planting fertiliser to achieve the exact ratio, others are turning to alternative agricultural finance solutions such as the One Acre Fund, which provides access to inputs on credit.

The One Acre Fund system provides farmers with quality seeds, fertiliser and planting tools on credit, which they repay when they sell their produce.

“Some farmers are still doubtful of the subsidised fertiliser due to the repeated infiltration of cartels in the distribution chain, which has led to the supply of fake fertiliser, forcing them to incur additional costs that translate to heavy losses,” said Ezekiel Koech, an agronomist based in Eldoret.

A report by the Ministry of Agriculture has defended the subsidised fertiliser, arguing that it meets the required planting standards.

“Farmers were given both planting and top-dressing fertiliser based on recommendations from KALRO regarding type and application formulae,” the report said.

However, farmers have decried the infiltration of cartels in the farm input supply chain, a recurring problem nearly every planting season that reverses gains in transforming the agricultural sector.

They urged the government to introduce tough measures to dismantle these cartels.

“Scandals surrounding the quality of subsidised fertiliser have discouraged many farmers from increasing their acreage under crop production. It is high time the government introduced reforms aimed at dealing with such cartels,” said Joel Kosgei, a large-scale farmer from Moiben, Uasin Gishu County.

The Kenya Kwanza administration allocated Sh12 billion for fertiliser subsidies last planting season, but the distribution was marred by scandals.

The government has promised to invest no less than Sh250 billion in the financial year 2023–2027 through budget reorganisation and restructuring to transform agriculture into a more pro-production-oriented sector and reduce heavy capital-consuming infrastructural financing.

“The government should put in place stringent measures to protect farmers from cartels who manipulate the fertiliser distribution chain by selling fake inputs. Such scandals shatter the dream of attaining food security,” said Kipkorir Menjo, a Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) director.

The planting season in most parts of the region begins in mid-February and extends to May. However, farmers are concerned about the recurring circulation of sub-standard fertiliser, which affects crop yield.

The country requires 650,000 tonnes of fertiliser annually for optimal production, but the supply chain has been riddled with scandals since independence.

The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has outlined measures to hasten the distribution of subsidised fertiliser to cope with increased demand as the planting season begins in most parts of the country.

Among the measures aimed at supporting smallholder farmers and lowering production costs are distributing the fertiliser through its outlets nationwide, working with farmers’ cooperative societies, and implementing a strict verification process to weed out cartels who have infiltrated the supply chain.

“We want to reduce long distances for collection points by delivering fertiliser in bulk to depots close to farmers' cooperative societies to ensure there is an adequate supply of nutrients for this planting season,” said NCPB Corporate Communications Manager Titus Maiyo.

He said the agency has stocked over 1.7 million bags of planting fertiliser in its outlets nationwide. The government-subsidised fertiliser is retailing at Sh2,500 per bag, compared to Sh5,400 in the open market.

According to Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Dr Paul Kipronoh Ronoh, the government has imported one million bags of subsidised fertiliser for the short planting season.

“We have put in place a proper distribution system through cooperative societies and other outlets to ensure that more farmers receive the inputs ahead of the planting season,” said Dr Ronoh.

However, in an earlier interview, Dr Timothy Njagi of the Tegemeo Institute, a food think tank, stated that the government-subsidised NPK 23:23 fertiliser contains 46 percent nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, compared to other brands.

“Because of the lower nutrient composition, farmers have to apply an extra bag compared to DAP, which has 46 percent NPK, or use crop-specific fertilisers to achieve optimal fertilisation,” said Dr Njagi.

“Some fertilisers, like DAP, are not necessarily bad... What farmers need to be told is how to apply them. For instance, they need to apply DAP alongside lime, which is a byproduct of cement,” added Dr Njagi.

However, maize farmers in the North Rift region have expressed concern over declining crop yields caused by soil infertility due to high acidity levels. They currently harvest between 15 and 20 bags per acre, down from the projected 30 bags.

A study by KALRO indicates that farmers in Uasin Gishu and Trans-Nzoia counties lose an average of 10 bags of maize per harvest due to declining soil fertility caused by the continuous application of common types of fertiliser.

The decline in crop production is confirmed by an earlier agriculture report, which indicates that maize production in the region has dropped from 30 to 20 bags per acre as soil fertility continues to decline.

It costs farmers between Sh1,500 and Sh2,000 to conduct soil sampling to determine acidity levels.

Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and KALRO are among the agricultural institutions that conduct soil analysis.

Maize production in Uasin Gishu, a major growing zone, dropped from 4.4 million to 3.7 million bags in 2021, while the yield in Trans-Nzoia County declined from 5.3 million to 4.7 million bags due to increased soil acidity and the infiltration of sub-standard fertiliser into the market during planting seasons.

bbii@ke.nationmedia.com