Farmers in Narok County have lauded the initiative put by President Dr. William Ruto to reduce the price of fertilizer from Sh. 6500 to Sh. 3500.
The farmers said the initiative will lower the cost of production which had gone too high forcing many farmers to abandon farming.
Wilson Marima a maize, wheat and barley farmer at Melili area in Narok North Sub County said lowering the cost of production translates to more yields as more farmers would motivate to practice large scale farming.
The prominent farmer said he had reduced the number of acres he farmed from 50 acres to 20 acres because of the high prices in farm inputs.
“President Ruto was very right, if you empower farmers, you have empowered the whole population. Food prices will go down and farmers will have money in their pockets. The news was too good,” said Marima.
Another maize farmer Jackson Sadera who hails from Nkaretta area in Narok Central Sub County thanked President Ruto for considering farmers in his maiden speech.
He confessed that many farmers who planted maize in large plantations had dropped the practice and shifted to other ventures as the price of fertilizer was too high.
“This season I planted 20 acres and got 300 bags of maize. With the new directive, I believe I will plant hundreds of acres. This will boost the production of maize in the country,” he said.
Narok County is one of the counties that major cash crop is maize producing between 3.5 to 4 million 90 Kgs bags of maize annually, according to data from the County Agriculture office.
Narok Chief Officer in charge of Agriculture Dr. David Letuati said only 88, 780 hectares of land is under maize production as opposed to the past average of 110, 000 hectares. So far 1, 556, 800 bags of maize have been harvested.
Most farmers in Narok County grow maize in the month of January and February because of the long rains that falls from February to May.
Those on the high lands like Trans Mara region also plant in September because of the short rains that falls between September and December.
Maize is the leading staple food in Kenya and when its production reduces, the country is said to be facing ‘food security threats’.
