As the long rains continue to pound different parts of the country, farmers in Murang’a County have a reason to smile after receiving 48,649 bags of the government-subsidized fertiliser.
This timely initiative will go a long way in boosting crop production, thus ensuring food security and also stabilizing the overall food prices in the country.
At the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) Maragua Depot, thousands of farmers thronged the facility to collect their share of the vital commodity to be used for planting and top dressing.
Some 3312 farmers had been registered and received vouchers to redeem their fertilizer from the depot once available.
According to the Depot’s manager, Rose Kellen Karimi, they received 48,649 bags of the subsidized fertilizer.
Of these, 43,802 bags had already been distributed to farmers at a subsidized rate of Sh2500 per 50 kg bag, while more bags continued to hit the depot.
“We received 27,343 bags of the subsidized fertilizer to be used for planting and 24,244 bags have already been distributed to the registered farmers,” she said, adding that out of the 21,306 bags for top dressing that we received, 19,558 bags had also been given out.
Some of the planting fertilizers the farmers are receiving include the NCOP, Organic hyperphosphate (MOHP) fertilizer, marine planting, and yara blend fertilizer among others.
The top dressing fertilizers include CAN, Urea, Elgon top dressing, and ETG, among others, all at a reduced price of Sh 2500 per 50 kg bag, down from the original market price of Sh6500.
The government had procured a total of 7.2million bags of the subsidized fertilizer for the 2025 long rains season.
A local resident, Beatrice Wahu Kariuki from Kamahuha ward, lauded the government’s initiative, noting that the subsidized price has enabled even small-scale farmers to purchase fertilizer to ensure the country remains food secure.
“I have bought the planting and top dressing fertilizer for my maize and since the rainfall season is still on, I am confident that the harvest will be a good one,” she said.
Kariuki noted that during the last season, she was able to harvest 20 bags of maize from her 2-acre piece of land, but this time round, she is likely to harvest up to 25 bags, courtesy of this government intervention.
The same case applies to Francis Njogu from Ichagaki, who got four bags of the planting fertilizer and four bags of the top dressing.
“We laud the government for this timely initiative and for the subsidized prize of 2500, compared to the local market price of 6000 per bag, which is by far too high for most farmers,” he said.
The move, according to Njogu, has ensured that most homesteads are now producing enough food for domestic use while also remaining with a surplus to sell for the much-needed income.
“This Kenya Kwanza government initiative has enabled even farmers with relatively small pieces of land to form groups and pool resources together to purchase the subsidized fertilizer, thus moving towards ensuring food security for all,” noted Njogu.
Last season, I harvested 8 sacks of maize from my half-acre of land, and this season I may harvest up to 10 sacks, he added.
By Florence Kinyua
