Kitale farmers stranded as fertilizer shortage persists

At a time when farmers in Trans Nzoia should be on their farms getting ready for the planting season, they find themselves at the Kitale NCPB depot looking for government-subsidized fertilizer.

But even as they queue for hours on end, some are not very optimistic as they have made trips here day after day only to get disappointed as they went home empty-handed counting losses for the amounts they spent on travel.

“Tungependa serikali ifanye kazi nzuri, mbolea ipelekwa huko kwa wards badala ya kukuja hapa na ata baada ya kukuja hakuna kitu unapata,” Allan Mwangi, a farmer in Cherangany told Citizen TV.

Ronald Meja, another farmer in Trans-Nzoia added; “tunaomba serikali ilete mbolea ya kutosha, wakati imefika na watu wengine mashamba ni ya maji na huenda tukakosa kitu.”

The farmers are not amused by the delays and they fear that the implications could be dire for them as already they are behind the planting schedule.

“Mimi ni number 5000 na shangaa nitafikiwa saa ngapi juu ya wananiambia sijui wako number mia 300 ingine sijui 900 sasa tunashangaa ama tutapata mbolea mwaka huu ama tutalima kweli,” said farmer Elizabeth Wanjiru.

Over 16, 000 people have registered to get the fertilizer from the Kitale deport but only less than 20 per cent of the farmers have received the important farm input.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, over 5.5 million farmers have been registered for the subsidized fertilizer.