The Government has imported 60, 000 metric tonnes of subsidised Diamonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilisers that will be distributed to farmers for this year’s planting season.

Agriculture Assistant Minister Kareke Mbiuki says that the consignment will be docking in the port of Mombasa next week.

Mbiuki said the Government will ensure the fertilisers are cleared at the port and distributed before the onset of the long rains, expected from mid next month. PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD

Speaking in Narok, Mbiuki said the subsidised input would be available in all National Cereals and Produce Board stores, and urged farmers to plant their crops in time.

“There will be no excuse for farmers not planting in time. They should prepare seed beds now before the long rains set in,” he said when he addressed farmers at the NCPB depot compound.
Wheat and maize farmers in South and North Rift regions have started preparing seed beds ahead of the planting season which starts before the end this month.

Mbiuki said the Government will ensure that the fertilisers are cleared at the port in time for the consignment to be distributed to all NCPB stores before the onset of the long rains, which are expected to start before mid next month. He pointed out that a 50-kilogram bag would retail at Sh2,500.

“The Government will hire services from transport companies once the consignment is cleared at the port for them to reach their destinations before the end of the month,” he said and expressed hope that there would be a bumper harvest this year.

Heavy losses

Citing weather patterns, Mbiuki said this year would be different from last year when farmers recorded heavy losses because of erratic weather.

He said the Government was optimistic there would be a bumper harvest that would boost the country’s food security to stop reliance on donors’ food handouts.

Mbiuki also announced that farmers would now get free access to drying facilities at all National Cereals and Produce Board depots so as to minimise post harvest loss and eliminate cases of contaminated grains.

“The Government has granted all grain farmers in the country unhindered access to drying facilities to minimise losses farmers having been incurring over the years and to avoid cases of contamination, which is harmful for human consumption,” Mbiuki said.

The assistant minister said the Government has acquired 40 mobile dryers that will be used in the next planting season, and added that farmers will dry their produce at subsidised prices.

Earlier wheat and barley farmers, led by David Kilesi, complained that planting season was approaching and yet the Government had yet to avail subsidised farm inputs.

“The Government should ensure that farm inputs reach farmers in time for them to plant early. Farmers have been posting dismal harvests because of planting late,” said Kilesi who is also an official of Cereal Growers Association.

By KIPCHUMBA KEMEI, The Standard

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