Leaders and farmers laud the government's move to subsidise fertilizer

Migori

Thursday, August 10, 2023

KNA by Geoffrey Makokha

Local leaders and farmers in Kuria East and Kuria West sub-counties have welcomed the move by the Government to subsidise fertilizer as a way of combating the high cost of living.

A total of 3500 bags of subsidized fertilizers were flagged off at the Kehancha and Ntimaru National Cereals and Produce Board depots led by Kuria East Member of Parliament Marwa Kitayama and National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) regional representative Moses Toroitich

Toroitich said that the subsidised fertilizers would be given to farmers after sorting out the challenges they had faced due to code delays and registration anomalies. 

He added that the farmers should use the chance to produce more and make a profit by selling them to the NCPB when the prices are favourable.

Kitayama noted that the subsidy imparted on fertilizers would greatly help many local farmers who have been pushing for the reduction of prices on fertilizers and other farm inputs.

The legislator said that they would push the National Government to also consider subsidies on other farm inputs like chemicals, seeds and even fuel that still makes farmers find it hard to produce food.

The same sentiments were echoed by Kehancha Assistant County Commissioner Benson Mwaura who called on the farmers to use the chance to produce more food crops and generate more income.

He called upon farmers to report any cartels involved in the sale and distribution of fertilizers to neighbouring Tanzania in order to protect the commodity that stands to benefit them.

Similarly, Kuria Farmers Association Chairperson Peter Chacha affirmed that the subsidy would help farmers in the region to produce more crops and increase crop acreage.

“The Sh. 2,500 is an affordable price that the majority of farmers who had lost hope in agriculture will find favourable. And the large numbers that have turned up here today to collect the commodity is a justification that farmers are too happy,” affirmed Chacha.

The local farmers urged the leaders to push for the subsidy on other farm inputs to enable them produce more food and reduce the cost of living.

Courtesy ; K. N. A