Government supplies additional fertiliser to ease shortage

The government has supplied additional consignments of subsidised fertiliser to address shortages that have persisted across much of the North Rift region.

The shortage has forced many farmers to delay planting.

However, farmers say the latest deliveries remain inadequate and are urging the government to speed up distribution.

More than eight million bags of subsidised fertiliser have so far been purchased from National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots.

Principal Secretary for Agriculture Kiprono Rono said more lorries are transporting supplies from Mombasa to the region.

“We assure farmers that they will get adequate supplies as we continue with the planting season in most areas,” Rono said.

Despite these efforts, queues remain at many NCPB depots as farmers wait for additional stock.

Deliveries have been arriving in small quantities, which has not met the high demand during the peak planting period.

Farmers’ representative Kipkorir Menjo said the shortage has been worse this year compared to previous seasons.

A spot check at depots in Eldoret, Nandi, Moi’s Bridge, Turbo, Kipkaren and Trans Nzoia revealed that many farmers remain on waiting lists.

John Waswa, a farmers’ representative at the Kipkaren depot, said a few farmers had finally received the fertiliser.

“Some of us who have been waiting for long finally got the quantities we wanted. We now hope more supplies will be delivered so that all farmers can begin planting activities,” he said.

Farmers have warned that the shortage could lead to low production of maize and other cereals, particularly due to the lack of preferred varieties known for high yields.

Farmer Ben Maswai said many had been forced to use any available fertiliser after missing out on OCP, which is widely preferred.

“We thought the government had organised itself early enough to ensure we got adequate fertiliser, but we are now caught in a chaotic situation chasing it while time is not on our side,” Maswai said.

Protests over fertiliser shortages have been reported across the North Rift.

 John Kimeto, a farmers’ representative in Trans Nzoia, expressed frustration over the scarcity of the OCP variety.

“We believed the government had prepared adequately and never expected the shortages we are now witnessing,” he said.

Uasin Gishu farmer Benson Kiplimo said the promised OCP supplies, which had yielded good harvests the previous year, have yet to arrive.

“Time for planting is running out and we now have to use other varieties,” he said.

The OCP variety is manufactured in Morocco and blended to suit soil types in specific regions and for specific crops.

PS Rono, however, assured that the delayed deliveries are not expected to affect harvests significantly in the region.