KAPSABET, Kenya, Jan 16 – Over 50,000 farmers in Nandi County have already registered for the government’s Fertilizer Subsidy Programme (FSP).
According to Nandi County Commissioner Herman Shambi, only farmers who have been vetted and registered will receive the fertilizer.
Speaking at Kapsabet Open Air Market during a sensitization exercise, Shambi said the new system will eradicate brokers and middlemen and help farmers boost food production.
“Any farmer who will miss out on this exercise will not be able to access the commodity. This programme is meant to bring down the cost of food production that’s why we are appealing to all farmers to capitalize on the opportunity and register before the exercise ends on 19th January,” he said.
Magdaline Korir, a farmer from Mosop Sub County said that the subsidized fertilizer will enable her to expand the area of land that she has been tilling for better returns.
“My appeal to the Kenya Kwanza Government is to ensure that the low cost fertilizer is readily available in government stores in all the six sub counties before the planting season next month,” she said.
The farmers also asked the national government to consider reducing fuel prices saying many farmers were unable to increase the acreage under maize because of high production costs.
Nandi County is an agricultural region with many farmers practicing tea, maize and sugarcane farming.
The rising cost of farm inputs such as fertilizer has however made many farmers to shy away from crop farming, but with interventions such as subsidized fertilizers, more farmers hope to increase agricultural production.
The countrywide registration exercise, which kicked off on 4th January is being carried out by chiefs, assistant chiefs, Nyumba kumi officials and village elders.
The registration exercise targets farmers participating in various crop production. Its main aim is to establish a national database for all farmers which include identity, profile, location, crop acreage and fertilizer requirements.
