Govt announces new fertilizer and maize seed subsidy

The Government has announced a further reduction in the price of subsidised fertiliser and certified maize seed to cushion farmers from drought-related losses and support their return to production.

Under the new intervention, farmers will purchase a 50-kilogramme bag of fertiliser at Sh2,000, down from the current price of Sh2,500.

The Government will also cover 50 per cent of the cost of certified maize seed, reducing the price from Sh300 to Sh150 per kilogramme.

This means a 2-kilogramme pack of maize seed will cost Sh300 instead of Sh600, while a 10-kilogramme pack will retail at Sh1,500 instead of Sh3,000. A 25-kilogramme pack will cost Sh3,750, down from Sh7,500.

The maize seed subsidy will target approximately 40 million kilogrammes of certified seed, translating into an estimated Sh6 billion Government subsidy.

Farmers will access the subsidised fertiliser and maize seed through Government-designated distribution channels.

Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the measures are part of President William Ruto’s administration’s policy of shifting from subsidising consumption to subsidising production.

Kagwe said the initiative aims to lower the cost of farm inputs, increase agricultural production and strengthen Kenya’s food security.

“In 2022, a 50kg bag of fertiliser retailed at approximately Sh7,500. The National Fertilizer Subsidy Programme brought this down to Sh2,500 and the Government is now reducing it further to Sh2,000, a reduction of more than 73 per cent,” Kagwe said.

Since 2022, approximately 33.55 million 50-kilogramme bags of subsidised fertiliser have been distributed to about 1.98 million farmers, with Government support amounting to approximately Sh78.79 billion.

The Government said the fertiliser subsidy has coincided with increased agricultural production.

Maize production rose from 34.3 million 90-kilogramme bags in 2022 to 73 million bags in 2025, while maize imports declined by more than 66.5 per cent during the same period.

The Government said the latest intervention seeks to prevent drought-related losses from reversing the gains made in agricultural production.

“At the heart of this intervention is a simple principle: a farmer who has lost a crop to drought must not also lose the ability to plant the next crop because fertilizer and seed are beyond reach,” Kagwe said.

The CS said the Government will continue supporting farmers affected by drought while investing in irrigation, water harvesting and other climate-smart interventions.

“The Government will continue supporting farmers to recover from drought, lower their cost of production and return to their farms, while investing in irrigation, water harvesting and other climate-smart interventions to strengthen Kenya’s resilience to changing weather patterns,” Kagwe said.