By Mary Mwendwa
The recent announcement by National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in kenya , of plans to import subsidized fertilizer at a cost of 2.8 million Kenya shilling towards end of march has left many farmers with questions on how fair the subsidy would be .
Wilson Omuhinda, a middle aged farmer in western Kenya is still worried despite the announcement by NCPB;”I struggle to afford fertilizer for my crops , it is just too expensive here in local shops, some dealers sell the price they wish and this really affects us, i hope one day a law would be in place to help farmers from this pain.”He complains.
Many of the farmers like Omuhinda struggle with high prices of fertilizer , for example , DiAmmonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer 50kg bag costs 1,800 ksh at NCPB and retailers sell the same as much as 3,200 ksh.Top dressing fertilizer goes for around 1,500 ksh.
However , issues to do with right policy have always been ignored by many developing countries which have potential to produce enough for its people yet they are struggling with hunger.
So, what has policy have to do with fertilizer ?
Dr.Shabir Jama, Head Farmer Solutions ,The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa ( AGRA) gives insights on how this critical yet overlooked matter is important in seeing small holder farmers in Africa have enough in their baskets and can earn a good living out of it.
He outlines major threats to farmers in the developing world , “If this things are not addressed , the small holder farmers may not achieve their full potential,many countries in Africa are not performing well in Agriculture yet they have potential.
“First we need favorable policies around soil health to help in giving subsidies on farm inputs like fertilizer. Rules should be put in place to allow even the private sector have a role to play together with the public sector for the sake of farmers.However, in many countries the private sector is still young to carry out some of these critical roles.
Financing is another big challenge, the cost of inputs in Africa is three times higher than the global markets. Alot of these costs emanate from port charges,storage facilities, transport costs and high interest rates that banks offer for credit facilities. Access to good markets is another problem. Some governments put bans on exports and this blocks farmers to sell their produce out of their countries.Regional trade should be also strengthened together with support systems.Support systems that minimize risks to farmers are essential.climate change has put many farmers at risk and therefore there needs to be ways to help farmers resilient .Knowledge sharing is an important component too.Farmers need information and this will help them make informed decisions .”
We need champions to push for these worthy courses, people who are passionate about farming .Through them policies and other essentials will see farmers in Africa move to next level.
Dr.Bashir Jama, notes how private sector and public need to work hand in hand .He gives an example of Malawi where farmers are working with private sector and have set a good example ofsuccess.Ghana, Burkina faso, Tanzania and Mali have set the pace for Africa’s revolution in farming.
“For example Kenya has opportunities after government became decentralized. This will help localize support to farmers. But they need help to determine priorities for the people. At the same time it has taken very long for Kenya to have policy around fertilizer for instance. Kenyans have struggled because there has been no regulation in this regard. Recently a policy was put in place and we believe this will help ease some of the challenges farmers have had to do with fertilizers especially prices.”He advises.
