The government of Kenya has announced new subsidized fertilizer prices after the government made available a Ksh3.5 billion (approximately $28.8 million at current exchange rates) fertilizer subsidy, according to a report by FurtherAfrica on Sept. 26.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Co-operatives made the announcement, and said the move follows a directive by the recently-elected President William Ruto for the ministry to import 1.4 million bags of fertilizer – mainly from Morocco (GM Sept. 23, p. 28).
In his first full day in office on Sept. 13, Ruto publicly pledged to lower the price of fertilizer from the current Ksh6,100 to Ksh3,600 (approximately $50.2 to $29.6 at current exchange rates) per 50-kg bag to combat the high-cost producers in the farming sector incur and improve the country’s food production and security.