Fertiliser shortage grips North Rift as maize and wheat planting starts
A combine harvester at a wheat farm. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | FILE
What you need to know:
- The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has admitted scarcity of DAP and NPK in some of its depots
- Maize production in Rift Valley, the country’s food basket dropped by five million bags to 16 million from 21 million last season after attacks by the MLN disease
Inadequate supply of fertiliser has hit most parts of North Rift as grain farmers rush to buy the soil nutrients.
Farmers complain of lack of Diammonium phosphate (DAP) and NPK 23:23:0.
“Most farmers require the fertiliser to plant maize and wheat,” Mr David Lang’at, a farmer from Burende, Nandi County, said. He urged the government to hasten fertiliser distribution.
Grain farmers in the region have been discouraged from using DAP fertiliser in maize due to increased soil acidity.
The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has admitted scarcity of DAP and NPK in some of its depots.
NCPB public relations manager Evans Wasike said the board has resorted to rail transport to accelerate delivery of fertiliser in order to meet increased demand.
However, some farmers in Rift Valley are reluctant to plant maize due attack of the crop by Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease that ravaged farms last season.
VIRAL DISEASE
“Why risk planting maize this time round when over half of the crop was damaged by viral disease last season subjecting me to heavy losses?” posed Mr Wilson Kipkosgei from Koibem, Nandi County.
Maize production in Rift Valley, the country’s food basket dropped by five million bags to 16 million from 21 million last season after attacks by the MLN disease.
The South Rift was the hard hit forcing some farmers to uproot the crop.
