Reports Leo Odera Omolo
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THERE are all the signs that the long rains are just around the corner and farmers in various parts of Western Kenya have prepared their fields in readiness for planting the season’s crops.

However, there is hue and cries in the entire Western Kenya that fertilizers are missing from the National Cereal and Produce Board’s store, especially the government subsidized, especially the popular DAP and Urea brands.

A survey by this writers in most farming district and region in Western Kenya has revealed that these branch of fertilizers are available in the commercial stores, but are selling at a very exorbitant prices of Kshs 4000- for Dap and Kshs 2600 for Urea.

Whereas government subsidized fertilizers sells at Kshs 2500 for DAP and Kshs 1600 for Urea. The differences in prices is clearly showing ht the average farmers may not be able to buy fertilizers, particularly the small scale farmers whose purchasing power is so limited.

Information circulating in many places in this part of the country says the fertilizer for this year’s planting season has already arrived in Mombasa. But some people somewhere are said o be dilly-dallying with delivery programme, perhaps hoping to make a kill with the fertilizers.

The same problem prompted the Maasai farmers in Narok County in rage of anger thereby blocking the main road that passes through their town with huge logs and stones in protest for the non availability of the subsidized fertilizers. The farmers action almost caused the breach of the peace in the area.

Towns in the agriculturally rich regions like Kerich and Bomet Counties, Kakamega, Bungoma, Nandi, Kisii, Migori and Homa-Bay Counties have yet to receive the subsidized fertilizers while these region have already experiencing substantial amount of rains.

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