Government cuts fertilizer price to KSh2,000, halves maize seed costs

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

The Government has announced a further reduction in the prices of subsidised fertilizer and certified maize seed in a move aimed at cushioning farmers from drought-related losses and enabling them to resume production.

The Government wishes to announce a further subsidy on fertilizer and certified maize seed to cushion farmers from drought-related losses and enable them to return to production.

In a statement by Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe, under the new intervention, farmers will purchase a 50kg bag of subsidized fertilizer at Ksh 2,000, down from Ksh 2,500, while the Government will meet 50 per cent of the cost of certified maize seed, reducing the farmer’s price from Ksh 300 to Ksh 150 per kilogramme.

“This means a 2kg pack of maize seed will cost Ksh 300 instead of Ksh 600; a 10kg pack Ksh 1,500 instead of Ksh 3,000; and a 25kg pack Ksh 3,750 instead of Ksh 7,500,” Kagwe said.

The maize seed intervention targets approximately 40 million kilogrammes, translating to an estimated KSh 6 billion in Government subsidy.

The CS said farmers will access the subsidized fertilizer and maize seed through Government designated distribution channels adding that the measures are part of President William Ruto’s administration’s shift from subsidising consumption to subsidising production by lowering the cost of inputs, supporting farmers to produce more and strengthening national food security.

In 2022, a 50kg bag of fertilizer retailed at approximately Ksh 7,500. The National Fertilizer Subsidy Programme brought this down to Ksh 2,500 and the Government is now reducing it further to Ksh 2,000 , a reduction of more than 73 per cent.

Since 2022, approximately 33.55 million 50kg bags of subsidized fertilizer have been distributed, reaching about 1.98 million farmers, with Government support amounting to approximately Ksh 78.79 billion. Over the same period, Kenya has also recorded gains in agricultural production.

CS Kagwe remarked that during this period, maize production increased from 34.3 million 90-kilogram bags bags in 2022 to 73 million bags in 2025, while maize imports declined by more than 66.5 per cent over the same period. These gains cannot be allowed to be reversed by drought.

The latest intervention seeks to ensure that farmers affected by drought are not locked out of the next planting season due to the high cost of fertilizer and seed.

“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,” said Kagwe.

The Government said it will continue supporting farmers to recover from drought, lower production costs 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.

Reporting originally appeared via KBC Digital. Read the full source for additional context.