Baringo Residents Assured Of Enough Subsidized Fertilizers

The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has guaranteed farmers in Baringo of adequate subsidized fertilizers for use in the ongoing planting season. The NCPB’s representative Emily Kukwai who is South Rift Regional Manager said distribution of the fertilizer was on course in the county which missed out from the pilot counties. While speaking on Thursday in Kabarnet town when she paid a courtesy call to Baringo County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture Risper Chepkonga, Kukwai noted that about 12, 700 bags of fertilizer have so far been distributed with more on the way. ‘What I can assure the residents of Baringo is that there is enough fertilizer for everyone to use this planting season,’ she reiterated. The regional manager advised unregistered farmers to visit their respective Chiefs so that they could be enlisted through the digital platform for them to be considered in the next disbursement which would be done more efficiently in that beneficiaries would be able to get the product in less than two weeks after registration. The Agriculture CEC who lauded local leaders led by Governor Benjamin Cheboi for their efforts in fast tracking the inclusion of Baringo to benefit from the subsidy programme thanked other stakeholders for coordinating in logistics of ensuring that the fertilizers reached farmers at grassroots. Chepkonga who took special recognition to two MCAs for Saimo Kipsaraman and Mogotio Wards who voluntarily offered warehouse stores for the fertilizer said such facilities would be useful to store other agricultural inputs and produce in future. She urged farmers to buy their crop seeds so that they are able to plant them immediately when they are supplied with the fertilizers. Chepkonga, who expressed concern over public complaints over slow processing during issuance of the subsidized fertilizers attributed it to technological hitches causing delays when redeeming the voucher which must go through the Ministry of Agriculture’s Kilimo System. County Director for Agriculture Vincent Abuje expressed the need for local leaders to support the establishment of permanent structures across the six sub-counties which would facilitate scaling down of such distributions to the lowest levels. Abuje was reacting to rising concerns over congestion witnessed when farmers visit NCPB depots in Eldama Ravine, Marigat and Kabarnet towns where the government stores farm inputs and produce are.

SOURCE: KENYA NEWS AGENCY