Agriculture and Livestock Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has received 16,000 metric tonnes of urea fertiliser donated by the government of Algeria.
The CS noted that the move was a kind gesture saying the fertiliser came in timely and in alignment with the country's cropping calendar.
However, the CS said the country requires 900,000 metric tonnes of assorted fertiliser to adequately produce food.
"The government, through my ministry, is committed to ensuring that smallholder farmers continue to access subsidised fertiliser to cushion them against the high cost of production," he said.
Lintuti noted that in the 2023-24 financial year, the ministry has planned to acquire 630,000 metric tonnes comprising 50 per cent basal and 50 per cent top dressing fertilisers.
He said farmers will be able to double their production to enhance the attainment of food and nutrition security.
"The importance of agriculture to the Kenyan economy cannot be overemphasised. The government has prioritised some value chains through the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) that we believe will be most effective in realising food security, reducing food imports and increasing exports," he said.
CS Linturi said the ministry is increasing investment in edible oils, rice, cotton, tea and leather value chains adding that fertiliser therefore becomes a critical element in ensuring productivity of prioritised crop value chains is achieved.
He said they have mapped and registered 6.4 million farmers alongside value chain actors such as agro-inputs dealers, aggregators, processors, extension service providers, marketing centers and transporters among others.
"This information is critical in helping us to link our farmers to key service providers through digitalised platforms such as E-extension and other E-services," the CS said.
"I urge upcoming farmers and the sector players to continually get mapped and registered through our Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (KIAMIS) for us to plan and ensure better service delivery."
Linturi said the country has an Agricultural Soil Management Policy 2023 that provides a framework for planning and implementation of agricultural soil management programmes.
The CS urged all stakeholders to embrace recommendations in the policy to ensure effective soil quality management for improved agricultural productivity.
"With the 2024 long rains and consequently the planting season approaching, I urge the sector players both at the national and county level to provide appropriate guidelines, information and demonstrations for increasing farmer awareness and developing efficient inputs distribution networks to accelerate better application fertilisers and lime products," Linturi added.
He noted that the government is committed to pursuing policies to ensure the affordability of agricultural inputs.