Tea, sugarcane growers set to get fertiliser
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett (second left), assists in offloading of fertiliser from a trailer at the National Cereals and Produce Board, Mosoriot depot, Nandi County, during a visit to check on the delivery of C.A.N. fertilizer on April 23, 2016. He said the government has imported 38 metric tons of subsidized fertiliser and that 10,000 bags have been delivered to the depot. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA.
What you need to know:
- Agriculture CS Willy Bett said that the money for the purchase would be factored in this year’s budget.
- He acknowledged presence of cartels in the fertiliser sector, noting that brokers accessed a huge chunk of the subsidised input.
- The ministry is coming up with a method that involves chiefs and assistant chiefs to draw an accurate list of farmers and their number of acreages.
Sugarcane and tea farmers are set to start benefitting from the government’s fertiliser subsidy programme to lower cost of production.
Agriculture CS Willy Bett said that the money for the purchase would be factored in this year’s budget.
“We have decided that we will also cover for these two major crops to assist all farmers to lower production and improve food security.
The budget process is ongoing, I will not give exact figure of the amount budgeted for,” said the CS.
The government imported 130,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser this year, a figure that is expected to go up with inclusion of the two major cash crops.
CURRENTLY DISTRIBUTING
The CS also revealed that the government was currently distributing an estimated 38,000 metric tonnes of C.A.N for top-dressing.
He acknowledged presence of cartels in the fertiliser sector, noting that brokers accessed a huge chunk of the subsidised input.
He said the government will work with chiefs in the vetting of farmers and distribution of the fertiliser.
“The vetting process has been infiltrated and manipulated to the extent those sold fertiliser were not farmers,” he said, adding the ministry is coming up with a method that involves chiefs and assistant chiefs to draw an accurate list of farmers and their number of acreages.
