RATIN

No affordable fertiliser for farmers as planting s

Posted on February, 25, 2019 at 08:12 am


By BARNABAS BII

When the Sh1.5 billion fertiliser blending factory was set up in Eldoret, there were high expectations among cereal farmers in the North Rift that it would lower the cost of farm inputs, enabling them to increase their acreage.

But their hopes were dashed when Toyota Tsusho Fertiliser Africa Ltd announced it will sell the locally mixed Baraka brand of fertiliser for Sh3,000 a bag, which they consider too high.

The Toyota Tsusho plant along the Eldoret-Nairobi highway produces an average of 150,000 tonnes of fertiliser annually.

Adding to the farmers' misery was the announcement by the government that it will not import 150,000 tonnes of subsidised fertiliser, as it has been doing in the past. The fertiliser goes for Sh1,800 per bag.

PETITION

The farmers have petitioned the government to source fertiliser locally, noting that the delay in importing it will interrupt their planting schedule, and thereby, threaten the country’s food security.

“Stockists are taking advantage of the current fertiliser shortage to increase the price beyond the means of most farmers,” Mr Robert Kosgei, an agricultural officer in Nandi County, said.

Mr David Kosgey from Moiben, Uasin Gishu County, said, “We want the government to source the fertiliser from Toyota Tshusho and sell the input to us at subsidised rates."

But the company has defended its prices, arguing that it blends its products for specific crops, and that they are suitable for crop production in the North Rift, the country’s bread basket.

“The Baraka brand of fertiliser is blended for specific crops like maize, tea, sugar cane, among others,” explained a source at the company.

HIKED PRICES

Stockists in the North Rift have hiked fertiliser prices, with a 50kg bag going for between Sh3,200 and Sh3,500.

The country requires 650,000 bags of planting fertiliser annually. Planting in most parts of the North Rift begins next month, with no indication that low-cost fertiliser will be availed to the farmers.

This comes as plans by the cereal farmers to import 1 million bags of fertiliser at Sh3,000 each in exchange for selling maize at Sh1,900 per bag to the shippers hit a snag due to political interference and price disputes.

The Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) yesterday said t the Export Trading Group (ETG) suspended the deal following claims by some leaders that it is out to exploit farmers by offering them Sh1,900 per 90kg bag in order to supply them with fertiliser.

“The move was aimed at stabilising the market prices for the inputs, but the investors pulled out due to claims by some leaders that they are out to benefit from low maize prices,” said KFA director Kipkorir Menjo.

The planting fertiliser was expected at the Mombasa port before the end of the month.

Source: Daily Nation