Ruto defends state fertilizer subsidy programme
President William Ruto during a church service at Kapng'etik Primary School in Keiyo South Constituency, Elgeyo Marakwet County on April 13, 2025.
What you need to know:
- President Ruto decried the low yield in most maize growing zones in the North Rift region due to pitiable agricultural practices.
- The Head of State disclosed further restructuring of coffee, dairy and sugar sub-sectors by offering farmers subsidies for farm inputs.
President William Ruto has announced further reforms in agricultural sector aimed at boosting productivity, raising farmers’ incomes, and curbing reliance on food imports.
The move comes at a time when the country is grappling with an impending maize shortage, threatening food security for millions of households that rely on the staple crop.
Speaking on Sunday in Elgeyo Marakwet County, President Ruto defended ongoing reforms across various agricultural sub-sectors and directed Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe to fast-track the adoption of modern technologies and innovations to empower farmers, increase crop production, and enhance the country’s food security.
“The distribution of subsidised fertiliser and favorable climatic conditions have motivated farmers to increase crop productivity and realize additional income. Further policies will be put in place by the Ministry of Agriculture to assist farmers to adopt modern crop production technologies to increase yield and cut down costs on food imports,” President Ruto said.
The Head of State further vowed to weed out cartels who have infiltrated the agriculture supply chain.
He decried the low yield in most maize growing zones in the North Rift region, the country’s food basket, due to pitiable agricultural practices and inadequate access to vital farm inputs.
“Inadequate application of such inputs like fertilizer has seen some farmers realize less than 15 bags of maize per acre instead of the projected 20-25 bags. We want to empower farmers to apply the appropriate two bags of planting fertiliser and equivalent quantity of top dressing for them to realise better yield and income,” added Dr Ruto.
President Ruto's strategies come at a time when there is a decline in supply of the commodity in a market that has been hit hard as most households rely on the cereal as their staple food.
Maize flour prices are averaging at Sh165 per two-kilogramme packet prompting the Ministry of Agriculture to set open importation of 5.4 million bags of yellow maize to ease pressure on the white variant of the cereal.
Maize prices have hit Sh4,600 up from Sh3,800 as farmers hoard the produce due to the anticipated shortage in the market.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, maize yield increased from 46 million bags to 70 million bags of 50 Kg as a result of the distribution of government-subsidised fertilizer and favorable climatic conditions.
At the same time, President Ruto disclosed further restructuring of coffee, dairy and sugar sub-sectors by offering farmers subsidies for farm inputs, attractive prices and a ready market for produce as his administration moves to increase crop productivity and cut food imports.
“We are out to weed out cartels from agriculture chains and ensure that farmers receive prompt payments for their produce at attractive rates,” said President Ruto at Kapngetik AIC Church in Keiyo South Constituency, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
He said the prices for coffee beans have doubled from Sh60 to Sh120 per kilogram following the restructuring of the sub-sector and asked cooperative societies to make prompt payments to motivate farmers to increase the productivity of the cash crop.
“Apart from coffee, the revival of the sugar sector is ongoing to operate all the mills and ensure that our country becomes a net exporter of sugar,” said the President.
He decried the exploitation of dairy farmers noting that the Sh50 per liter was still low as compared to Sh130 per liter for processed milk.
“We should make farmers be at the center of management of milk factories. They should be able to earn profit from the investment,” added Dr Ruto.
He disclosed plans to source Sh600 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to expand electricity connectivity to more homes in Elgeyo Marakwet county from the current 10,000 to 17,000 households.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the chief and their assistants will be promoted on merit to motivate them to discharge their duties effectively and help maintain law and order.
The event was attended by lawmakers Gideon Kimaiyo (Keiyo South), Adams Kipsanai (Keiyo North), Marianne Kaitany (Aldai), nominated MP Joseph Wainaina, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator William Kisang and Governor Wisley Rotich.
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