Agriculture CS Kagwe announces price reduction for maize seed and fertilizer

In a statement on Monday, CS Kagwe said that the Government will meet 50 per cent of the cost of certified maize seed, reducing the farmer’s price from Ksh.300 to Ksh.150 per kilogramme, while farmers will purchase a 50kg bag of subsidised fertiliser at Ksh.2,000, down from Ksh.2,500.

This translates to an estimated Ksh.6 billion in government subsidy as the move targets approximately 40 million kilogrammes.

"This means a 2kg pack of maize seed will cost Ksh.300 instead of Ksh.600; a 10kg pack Ksh.1,500 instead of Ksh.3,000; and a 25kg pack Ksh.3,750 instead of Ksh.7,500," the statement noted in part. 

He added that farmers will access the subsidised fertiliser and maize seed through Government-designated distribution channels.  

This comes after President William Ruto announced that the government will reduce the price of maize seeds by 50% as from September 2026.

The move comes as Ruto’s administration shifts from subsidising consumption to subsidising production by lowering the cost of inputs, supporting farmers to produce more and strengthening national food security. 

In 2022, the Ministry noted that a 50kg bag of fertilizer retailed at approximately Ksh.7,500 and was brought down to Ksh.2,500 under the National Fertilizer Subsidy Programme.

Since 2022, approximately 33.55 million 50kg bags of subsidised fertiliser have been distributed, reaching about 1.98 million farmers, with Government support amounting to approximately Ksh.78.79 billion. 

Maize production increased from 34.3 million 90-kilogram bags in 2022 to 73 million bags in 2025, while maize imports declined by more than 66.5 per cent over the same period. 

This comes as the government has announced its plan to import 25 million 90kg bags of maize to cure an anticipated food deficit and protect the country from a possible shortage caused by drought and other climate-related challenges that have affected production in major maize-growing regions.

CS Kagwe said on August 19 that the Government has already made arrangements to facilitate the imports, assuring Kenyans that the country has sufficient measures in place to guarantee food security despite the current challenges.

Kenya consumes approximately 75 million bags of maize annually, but reduced harvests in several food-producing regions are expected to create a shortfall of nearly 25 million bags.