Kenya has entered into an agreement with a multinational firm to fast-track the development of affordable green fertiliser.
Under the pact, Fortescue Future Industries and the Government of Kenya will work together to build a 300MW capacity generation green ammonia and green fertiliser facility by 2025.
President William Ruto, who witnessed the signing of the agreement on Monday, November 7, 2022, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, said the move furthers Kenya’s green energy transition.
“The shift will help reduce our reliance on imports, check the high cost of fertiliser and boost food production,” he said.
On his part, Fortescue Executive Chairman and Founder Dr Andrew Forrest said the partnership will create thousands of new jobs in Kenya.
The agriculture sector plays a critical role in Kenya’s economy accounting for 20 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Further, the sector also employs over 40 per cent of the total population and more than 70 per cent of the rural populace.
Import fertilizers
Despite the role it plays, the country still imports a majority of its fertilizers. 2022 data by the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade shows that Kenya spent around Usd63. 21 million in 2021 on these imports.
The government has already committed to importing at least 6 million bags of fertilizers that will be availed to farmers at an affordable price in the coming long-rains season.
Already, 1.5 million bags have been distributed across the country to farmers for the short rains at Ksh3,500 per 50-kilogram bag.
“We have also made arrangements to make another 6 million bags of various types of fertiliser available for the long rains season,” President William Ruto said during the 2022 Mashujaa Day celebrations.
“We have also asked county governments to work with us on last-mile delivery to centres close to farmers,” he added.
Meanwhile, the only fertilizer factory in the country is the Eldoret-based Baraka Fertilizer Factory.
The factory set up by Toyota Tsusho, however, manufactures crop-specific and balanced-nutrition NPK fertilizers.
