Farmers in the North Rift region will get a rare opportunity of purchasing organic fertilizers through an auction at the upcoming Eldoret Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Show.
The auction making its debut at the Eldoret ASK Show has been organized by a Kenyan farm products company GPC.
GPC manufactures organic fertilizers which will be up for sale during the auction at the show.
According to GPC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joe Kariuki, 10,000 bags of organic fertilizers will be available for auction.
Promotional messages for the inaugural fertilizer auction at the Eldoret ASK Show seen by Uasin Gishu News indicate that bids will start from as low as Ksh4,999 for 5 bags of GPC fertilizers.
“Attention all farmers! Our auction at the Eldoret ASK showground next week will feature 10,000 bags of premium GPC organic fertilizer! This is a rare opportunity to get your hands on some top-quality fertilizer for your crops at a very affordable price,” read part of the message.
Date for 2023 Eldoret ASK Show
“Starting bid will be over 5 bags for as low as Ksh4999. Join us on 1st-4th March at 8A.AM to bid on this and other fantastic items,” adds the message.
The 2023 Eldoret ASK Show is scheduled to start on March 1st. It will also run up to March 4th.
President William Ruto is also expected to officially open the show on March 3, 2023. The theme for the show this year is ‘Promoting Climate Smart Initiatives and Trade for Economic Growth’.
For several decades that Agricultural Shows have been in existence in the country, livestock auctions have arguably been the attraction to many farmers.
However, for the first time, farmers will now be able to also purchase fertilizers through an auction at the Eldoret ASK Show.
The show and the auction will be coming at a time farmers are preparing for a new planting season expected to kick off by mid-March.
Currently, the government is discouraging farmers from using DAP fertilizers for planting due to high soil acidity in the region.
GPC organic fertilizers offer the best alternative for planting due to them being soil friendly – they reduce soil PH which is favourable to many crops.
They can be used both for planting and top dressing.
Meanwhile, organic fertilizers can be accessed at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) or through farmers’ cooperatives.
