Farmers from Matungulu Sub-county have decried the quality of government-subsidized fertilizer bought from the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), Tala Branch.
They raised concerns that the fertilizer is full of small stones which are more than the combinations that make the fertilizer compounds.
Speaking to Mauvoo News, one of the farmers said that they realized that after applying fertilizers to their crops something looking like stones was being left behind after the rest has dissolved and intrigued them.
The farmers said after consulting they found out that it was the same in many farms and the fertilizer that had that residue was coming from Cereal Board Tala.
“As farmers, we are really disappointed in this subsidized fertilizer because it has more stones than fertilizer. We know that when you apply fertilizer in your crops it dissolves after rains but this one you go to the farm in the morning and you find it has not dissolved only to find stones,” said one of the farmers.
“Our plea is to the Government to help us as farmers because we are spending money to buy this fertilizer. A 50 kg bag goes for 3,250 and it is sad to find half of it is stones rather than fertilizer, how will we know our crops are going to yield if we use such things,” asked another farmer.
Depot Manager at Tala Cereal Board Alice Muiruri said that they had not received any complaints from the farmers about the fertilizer even though that type of fertilizer the farmers were complaining about is no longer available.
She noted that if anyone had complaints they should raise them with the Head office in Nairobi or fill out a complaints form to the Cereals Board and it would be looked into.
“We have not received any complaints from the farmers about our fertilizers. If it has stones I do not know because I just receive and disperse and when it comes it’s sealed and approved by KEBS. Let them come fill up complaints forms and the matter will be looked into,” Muiruri said.
The Agriculture office in Matungulu informed Mauvoo News that the fertilizer was blended and the stones were alkaline so they would dissolve later as the crop grow.
