Farmers have so far received three million bags of subsidised fertiliser by the beginning of the month.
Data from the Kenya National Trading Corporation Limited indicates that over three million farmers from 34 counties had received subsidy fertiliser by Tuesday.
Counties that have benefited from the subsidy programme include Baringo, Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Embu, Homa Bay, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kakamega, Kericho, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Kisumu, Kitui, Laikipia, Makueni, Machakos, Meru, Migori, Murang’a, Narok, Nakuru, Nandi, Nyeri, Nyamira, Nyandarua, Tharaka Nithi, Siaya, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Vihiga and West Pokot.
KNTC data further showed that 3.228 million vouchers have been distributed to maize farmers who have been registered in the platform.
E-vouchers worth Sh10.6 billion have been issued to farmers since the interception of the subsidy programme in February this year.
The National Cereals and Produce Board and KNTC had a stock of 714, 963 bags of different varieties of fertiliser by Tuesday.
“Redemption of the subsidy fertiliser was done at 106 service points across the country. Since the interception of the programme, 1.7 million bags of planting and 1.2 million bags of top dressing fertiliser for maize have been redeemed,” KNTC said.
This in addition to 50,994 bags of coffee top dressing fertiliser, 5,077 and 8,302 potato planting and top dressing fertiliser respectively as well as 8,700 sugarcane top dressing and 64 vegetable top dressing fertiliser.
In May 18, Agriculture PS Kello Harsama assured Kenyans that the fertiliser subsidy will continue as planned despite inadequate resources to fund the programme.
The PS had told the National Assembly Agriculture committee that the ministry had a deficit of Sh14.7 billion for the fertiliser subsidy programme.
Harsama said the budgetary requirement for the rollout of the programme was Sh19.2 billion but the project was allocated only Sh4.5 billion by the Treasury.
“This translates to a Sh14.7 billion resource gap that the state department now fears could hamper the programme. The government will not be able to provide 4.28 million bags of fertiliser, thus reduced production,” the PS told the committee.
But he told the Star that the deficit will not affect the fertiliser subsidy programme, and that the government has the capacity to address the shortfall.
The PS assured Kenyans that there is no uncertainty in implementation of the programme and that the government has the capacity to address the fiscal deficit.
“We know how to seal the fiscal gaps and there is nothing wrong in expressing a deficit. Even if we told Parliament that we have a deficit, this does not mean that the fertiliser subsidy programme will end or be interfered with,” he said.