President William Ruto on Wednesday announced a price reduction of fertilizer from Sh3,500 to Sh2,500 as the government kicks off the second phase of the fertilizer subsidy program.
Speaking at State House, Ruto said the price reduction took effect Tuesday, August 1. He also mentioned that this marked the first time the government has distributed the fertilizer directly to farmers.
“We brought down the price of fertilizer to Sh2,500 for a 50kg bag as of yesterday. Farmers also bought 4,ooo bags yesterday which is a new record in the sale of fertilizer,” he said.
Ruto affirmed that this move aligns with his commitment to reduce production costs rather than subsidizing food prices. Previously, he lowered the price of a 50-kilogram bag from Sh7,000 to Sh3,500 during the last planting season.
“Upon assuming office I announced that the government will prepare farmers for the planting season that was late last year by making available 300,000 metric tonnes or six million bags subsidised fertilizers at Sh3,500 each down from Sh7,000 a bag last season,” he said.
Ruto urged farmers to increase their use of fertilizers per acre, emphasizing that it would lead to a significant boost in agricultural production.
“At this price, we expect a significantly higher uptake of fertiliser. Since fertiliser is the game-changer of agricultural productivity, this should translate to higher production in the next planting season,” he said.
Adding: “In the long rain season, most farmers used one bag of fertilizer per acre. Data shows that if you double the fertilizer per acre, you’ll get more yield of between 12 and 25 bags of maize.”
President Ruto announced that the government’s target is to distribute 100,000 tonnes, equivalent to 2 million 50-kilogram bags, of subsidized fertilizer ahead of the short rains season.
“Our target is to produce 61 million bags annually between this season and 2027. Long rains usually account for 80 per cent of a season’s production. From the long rain season alone, an estimated yield of 44 million bags is expected, compared to last year’s 32 million bags. As a result of effectively administered strategic interventions, we are definitely on course to meet national demand in full this year,” he said.
