Fear of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is set to hike fertilizer prices in the country where a 50kg bag of fertilizer could retail at Ksh.7,000.
Appearing before parliament Tuesday, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said the country receives supplies from Russia, a country that has recently been hit by dire sanctions for its continued offense against Ukraine.
“We get the most of our fertilizer from Russia and China, and if there is no subsidy, fertilizer price levels could reach Sh7,000,” said Munya.
According to Business Daily, Russia was the world’s largest exporter of nitrogen products or planting fertilizer as of 2021.
Parliament has already said it would include Ksh.3.billion in the supplementary budget for the financial year ending June to solve the growing high cost of fertilizer.
The ministry requires at least Ksh.31.8 billion to effectively provide the subsidy to farmers, through which price of fertilizer would be lowered to Ksh.2,800.
In 2007, the Government of Kenya introduced the NAAIAP for farmers who still could not afford inorganic fertilizers. The program’s “Kilimo Plus” was a voucher for fertiliser and improved maize seed that targeted small-scale farmers could redeem at private agrodealers.
The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) had in January this year said it would begin to sell or distribute any government subsidised fertiliser this month.
