This archive report was first published on 16 December 2019.
On December 16, 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture announced a plan to issue Sh2 billion worth of electronic vouchers for cheap fertiliser to farmers.
The move aims to curb corruption and ensure that farmers receive quality inputs. The vouchers will be used to purchase fertiliser from agro-vet shops, reducing the need for farmers to travel to National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots.
The programme will also extend to include Irish potato, coffee, and rice, in addition to maize, which has been the primary beneficiary of the subsidy programme.
Agriculture PS Hamadi Boga explained that part of the funds will be used for soil testing and provision of lime to correct acidity, a major contributor to declining production.
Prof Boga stated that the planned supply model will provide zones with fertiliser types that match their soil profiles, addressing the issue of declining fertility.
"We are rolling out the issuance of e-vouchers to farmers in the next planting season to ensure that these fertiliser benefit farmers and get the type that suits their soils," he said.
The e-voucher payment system is expected to reduce graft linked to the selling of subsidised fertiliser to non-farmers by NCPB officials. In 2018, the Auditor-General revealed that the NCPB could not provide verifiable documents for audit to confirm the quantity of fertiliser bought, the quality sold to farmers, and the selling prices under the Sh2.1 billion disbursed to the agency.
