By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
The Ministry of Agriculture has announced suspension of distribution of NPK fertilizer under the subsidy program.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi in a letter to NCPB Managing Director said the move has been informed by establishment of facts that the fertilizer was not meeting required standards.
Linturi, in the letter directed that NCPB stops selling the said Fertilizers to farmers.
“Following a spot check by Ministry staff led by the Principal Secretary to Counties and National Cereals and Produce Board stores, it was established that the above Fertiliser being distributed under subsidy program may not be meeting the required standards as earlier indicated,” the CS said in the letter dated March 20, 2024.
“Your institution is requested to suspend the distribution of this fertilizer with immediate effect from being issued to farmers,” he added.
Additionally, the CS said NCPB is required to carry out investigation to ascertain the specifications of the flagged fertilizer before being re-introdiced to the subsidy program.
“In the event the fertilizer is found not to be meeting specifications, the supplier will be penalized and meet full cost,” he added.
According to the letter, the fertilizer under probe is NPK 10:26:10 manufactured by Ken Chemical Limited.
There has been concerns over the the quality of fertilizer that farmers were buying from NCPB depots.
Claims have been that unscrupulous traders were taking advantage of the subsidy program to supply fake fertilizers.
But even as probe into the matter begins, digital strategist Dennis Itumbi insists reports on the quality of the fertilizer are fake.In a post on his X handle, Itumbi claimed the story was being peddled by anti-government individuals.
“For the RECORD: The fertilizer story is FAKE NEWS on broken High Heels! The government has suspended distribution from NCPB to allow INVESTIGATIONS. With that move alone, the Fake News manufacturing caves have no source to anchor their poorly produced scripts,” Itumbi said.
“The #SystemYaFacts is that there is an increased demand for fertilizer adding up to 200k acres. It is a fact that farmers increased their yield by 20m bags. UNGA prices have gone down. President @WilliamsRuto bold move to invest in Production is paying off big time! How to counter? Craft some FAKE!” he added.
