Reports Kipsiele Arap Sugurut
The season of planting in Kericho County has arrived and farmers were expecting subsidised fertilizers to have arrived by now for use this planting season. Farmers have been trooping to Divisional and District offices for fertilizer coupons, which are easy to get, but when they go to National Cereals and Produce Boards stores in Kericho Town, they do not find anything.
On enquiry, the farmers are told that the fertilizers get depleted the same day they are delivered. The most shocking thing is that there is no farmer seen carrying even a single bag of fertilizer. This writer decided to try his luck recently and armed himself with a four bag fertilizer coupon from his local Agricultural Office. On reaching NCPB stores, he was told the fertilizers were depleted by one of the clerks, but fresh consignments were about to be delivered. The writer decided to pitch tent outside the NCPB premises to await the consignments. After a short while a 40 tone lorry belonging to a local transporter arrived and left immediately with the same consignment after the normal paper work had been done.
On inquiry, this writer was told everything had been sold and should come another day. Disappointed, this writer decided to follow the lorry and was surprised to find that the G0K subsidized fertilizers was being offloaded in a private store within the town. This writer later learn that the same fertilizers were being repackaged in commercial 50 kg bags to be sold to local farmers at a slightly lower market rates. One curious farmer decided to buy one bag of repackaged fertilizers and found that it was underweight by about 2 kg.
The farmers of Kericho were expecting fertilizers in December for early planting, but it seems some local cartels are out to frustrate the GOK’s effort in providing this vital input. The local cartels, who are supporters of former Minister for Agriculture, are out to frustrate the current Minister in her effort to secure food security in the Country. No wonder the former Minister is a frequent visitor to this County and mainly have te-te-te meetings with these cartels in undisclosed locations in the town.
The farmers of Kericho County wanted subsidized fertilizers yesterday and the G0K should move with speed to reign in these cartels if we are to avoid further embarrassing situations in this Country of plenty.
ends