KENYA – Agriculture Permanent Secretary Kello Harsama has revealed that the subsidized fertilizer currently being sold to farmers does not have Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) due to its acidic nature in the soil.
Harsama said farmers are used to DAP planting fertilizer, yet it is acidic, which is why the government is selling NPK to replenish the soils.
“We have been encouraging farmers not to use DAP as we seek to cut acidity levels on soils attributed to continuous use of this type of fertilizer,” Harsama explained.
“But this depends on different ecological zones, there are some ecologies where the DAP fertilizer is good for the soil, but at the national average, we have removed it from the list of fertilizers being sold to farmers. We have replaced it with NPK 23 23.”
He assured farmers that NPK 23 23 is still good, however, some researchers insist that DAP is still the fertilizer of choice in planting.
Dr. Esther Gikonyo, the center director of Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation Kabete, noted research showed that farmers will have to use double the application rate of NPK as opposed to DAP.
The research was conducted between 2016 and 2019 in Uasin Gishu and three other counties in Central Kenya where soils are highly acidic.
“A farmer needs just a single bag of DAP in one acre, unlike the NPK, where they need to apply at least two bags to match the productivity rate of DAP,” Gikonyo said.
“The research indicated that DAP gives the best yields compared to NPK. DAP has the highest phosphate content, which is inherently low in our soils and particularly so in our acidic soils. We noted that the best management of acidic soils would be the application of lime to neutralize the acidity and combine it with recommended fertilizer based on the soil test. DAP is the best yield after lime.”
A survey conducted by the Central Bank of Kenya showed that 29 percent of farmers had received the government-subsidized fertilizer by early March 2023, compared to 20 percent who received it in early November 2022.
According to the National Cereals and Produce Board, so far, the government has sold 1.3 million bags of subsidized fertilizer to farmers. NCPB has received 1.57 million bags of assorted fertilizer and the remaining stock as of April is 250,0000 bags.
The survey indicated that farmers who are yet to redeem or receive the subsidized fertilizer, cited a lag between the date of receipt of the notification and redemption of the voucher.
Some of those not registered cited poor quality of the fertilizer, limited stocks, delayed delivery, and lack of money.
The government decided to subsidize this year’s planting season fertilizer to cushion farmers from the surging prices of the farm input while also achieving food security.
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