CS Munya tells off those politicising rising cost of farm inputs

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has told off a section of leaders who have politicised the rising cost of farm inputs instead calling on them to support state interventions.

According to Munya, the government has embarked on addressing rising cost of fertiliser which he says is attributed to shortage of key raw materials sourced from Russia and Ukraine, two countries currently embroiled in conflict.

He said the political class should support the government explore new revenue sources especially now that income streams are limited.

“You should not be blaming the government yet you are sitting in parliament formulating a budget. Concentrate on supporting government in finding solution not to try and run away from the problem which you have also created. Budget making process is a dual mandate so we need to strike a balance,” said Munya.

While speaking in Nyeri County, CS Munya said the government will require Kshs. 31 billion to subsidize fertilizer prices to farmers.

While reassuring farmers that the government is addressing the rising cost of farm inputs especially fertiliser, Munya said that the problem was not unique to Kenyan farmers, but countries which relied on imported farm inputs were facing a similar predicament.

“The Government is looking at ways and means of addressing the situation. The problem is that the cost of fertiliser is very high. We do not have sufficient phosphate deposits in the country so we have to rely on Russia, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia to get fertiliser. There was the Covid-19 disruption which was followed by a war that has resulted in increased transport logistics which have also increased the cost of shipping,” said Munya.

In early March this year, the ministry predicted that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine would push the cost of a 50 kilogram bag of fertiliser to Kshs. 7,000. Currently 50 kilogram of Diamonium Phosphate fertiliser is Kshs.  6000. The cost is a Kshs. 2000 increase in price from 2021 when DAP was retailing at Kshs.  4000 per 50 kilogram bag.

The CS noted that the government had been able to sustain the fuel, maize, coffee and potato subsidy programmes due to prior preparation during the budget making process.

“These are small budgets for us but we are asking ourselves if it is possible to subsidise all these products at once. This is the conversation we require to have between treasury and parliament and not a conversation the ministry of Agriculture can handle on its own,” said the CS.

Coffee farmers are the latest beneficiaries on the government’s input programme where they only pay 60% for the inputs through the E-subsidy programme which was launched in January this year.