The National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB) has initiated the process of compensating farmers who purchased substandard fertilizers under the government subsidy program.
The move is in line with the recent directive by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi that all affected farmers be compensated with a top-dresser to help address nutrient deficiencies in their farms.
“All farmers who have utilized the fertilizers and NCPB has verified that they procured them from their stores will be issued with an equivalent amount of the top-dressing fertilizer,’’ NCPB stated.
“In the case of farmers who procured and have not utilized the fertilizer, they will be required to return the product to NCPB stores and be issued with an equivalent amount of planting fertilizer,” it concluded.
All affected farmers have been advised to urgently lodge formal complaints by filling out a Claim Declaration Form that will be provided at the depot or Selling Centre where they bought the product.
They are also required to present their original national ID cards and evidence of purchase, including the exhibits where applicable, for those who have not used the fertilizer.
NCPB said it has distributed 3 million bags of planting and 300,000 top-dressing fertilisers for the ongoing long rains season to registered farmers.
“Farmers are continuing to receive e-voucher messages for top-dressing fertiliser and are encouraged to visit the nearest NCPB depot or selling centre to purchase quality fertilisers under the government subsidy programme,” said the board.
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Substandard Fertilizers
The said substandard fertilizer was supplied by KEL Chemicals, a Thika-based manufacturing company, between March 5th and 10th, 2024.
A test carried out by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) revealed that the fertilizers labeled as Kelphos Plus, Kelphos gold, and NPK 10:26:10 did not meet the stipulated requirements.
Following the revelation, the government, through the Agriculture Ministry, suspended KEL’s operations and ordered the immediate confiscation of its fertiliser products sold in the Kenyan market.
“The Government has further seized and impounded all fertilizer stocks distributed by KEL Chemicals at the National Cereals Produce Board (NCPB) facilities. This step is essential to control and mitigate any adverse effects on agricultural practices,” the Ministry said.
On its part, KEL company admitted to a production error, confirming that 3,000 bags of the counterfeit fertilizer were produced between the 5th and 10th of March.
The subsidy programme which commenced in August 2022 has been rocked by claims of substandard fertiliser being sold to unsuspecting farmers leading to low yields.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi said the government is committed to ensuring that farmers receive proper agricultural inputs and is taking steps to prevent any fertilizer-related problems that could impact crop yields in the future.