Agribusiness
Subsidised Fertiliser is too Costly, Farmers Tell Government
Farmers in the Rift Valley’s maize-growing regions have questioned the effectiveness of the government-subsidized fertilizer, complaining that they must mix it with other brands or buy twice as much, which is expensive over time and defeats the goal of the program.
They claim that the inexpensive fertilizer sold at National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) stores is deficient in the nutrients intended to enhance soil health, prompting farmers to mix it with other fertilizers.
The farmers claim that the subsidy program will be costly since, in contrast to the DAP brand, which only required one or one and a half bags, they must apply two bags of the blended NPK 23:23 fertilizers per acre.
NPK fertilizer which is government-subsidized costs Sh3,500, Yara fertilizer costs Sh4,050, and DAP and other brands cost Sh5,600 for a 50-kilogram bag.
“What the government prioritised is quantity rather than quality. Ideally, the government should have carried out soil testing to determine the type of fertiliser that is suitable for each region instead of distributing the same brand across the board, which may turn out to be expensive to farmers,” said Kimutai Kolum, a large scale farmer in Uasin Gishu.
Farmers who were interviewed claimed they had to buy extra bags of the subsidised fertilizer, meaning that they spend Sh7,000 on the two pricey bags of the 50 Kg NPK 23:23 brand.
Experts in the agriculture industry agree with the farmers’ concerns and state that the NPK 23:23 brand has less nutrient content than brands designed for particular crops.
In comparison to other brands, the NPK 23:23 has 46% more nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, claims Dr. Timothy Njagi of the Tegemeo Institute.
“Because of the lower nutrient levels, farmers have to apply an extra bag compared to DAP to achieve higher fertilisation,” said Dr. Njagi.
He continues by saying that in order to solve soil acidity and nutrient deficits, the ministry needs to cooperate with farmers to provide lime.
“Some fertilisers like DAP are not bad, but farmers need to know how to use them. For instance, they need to apply the fertiliser together with lime, which is a byproduct of cement,” said Dr. Njagi.
“We also need to support innovations because there are innovators who have developed lime spreaders as opposed to imported granulated lime fertilisers, which are more expensive.”
Approximately 650,000 tonnes of fertilizer are needed in the country each year, yet some farmers are forced to plant crops without adding the nutrients because of exorbitant costs.
Now that the subsidised fertiliser is insufficient, farmers in the area will be compelled to purchase expensive fertiliser from private sellers.
Private traders are already taking advantage of the scarcity of reasonably priced fertilizer by sending text messages to farmers claiming to have the fertilizer in stock.
In a report, National Accepted Agriculture Input Access (NAAIA) and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) advise against using DAP fertilizer in the counties of Uasin Gishu, Trans-Nzoia, Nandi, and Elgeyo Marakwet, which are known for their maize-growing regions.
Since the soil’s pH in this area ranges from five to seven, it is advised that farmers put compost or animal manure to the soil before planting to reduce the pH.
To increase crop output, calcium ammonium phosphate (CAN) must be used as a top dressing.
Farmers spend between Sh1,500 and Sh2,000 to conduct sampling to measure the soil’s acidity level.
