Government Should Reduce Farm Inputs Cost

As North Rift farmers are preparing for planting season, their accounts have gone dry due to the rising costs of farm inputs such as fertilizers and seeds.

It would have been better for the government to give out subsidies of the farm inputs to all farmers, including those in the Rift Valley region, the country’s food basket.

This will rescue farmers from the heavy burden ahead of them for the budget of farm inputs, among other costs of preparing their farms and planting.

Currently, the cost of the fertilizer is between Ksh5,000 and Ksh6,000, which has been very hard for many farmers to afford due to their low income amidst this Covid-19 pandemic.

The situation has been worsened by the low price of their farm produce. A 90-kilogram bag of maize is now being bought by traders and the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) at Ksh3,000.

Agriculture being the backbone of this nation, the government has to take it more seriously by funding and subsiding farmers through the Ministry of Agriculture.

Subsidizing farm inputs will make it affordable to many farmers, enhancing acreage of lands under maize and wheat, subsequently ensuring the country is food secure.

This will in turn reduce hunger among Kenyans which often cause malnutrition mostly among children.

If the government will do this, it is not only going to benefit farmers but also the nation as the quantity and quality of the produce will go high thus improving the economy.

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