Contradictory Directives: Agriculture CS Linturi and PS Issue Conflicting Orders on Fertilizer Sale
Farmers around the country are perplexed after the Ministry of Agriculture released contradictory orders within the last week.
This came after a correspondence from Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi contradicted a previous direction from the State Department of Agriculture’s Principal Secretary, Dr Paul Ronoh.
Both directions were issued in response to suspicions of the circulation of counterfeit state-issued subsidised fertiliser and reports of seizures across the country.
In a tweet on his Twitter page Thursday evening, the CS mandated that all National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and Kenya Seeds Company outlets remain open over the Easter holiday period.
This, he explained, is to assure farmers’ comfort during the planting season.
“I have this evening directed NCPB & (sic) Kenya Seeds Limited outlets countrywide to remain open during Easter Holiday to facilitate our hard-working farmers needs in the ongoing planting season,” Linturi tweeted at a minute past 9 pm.
A week prior, the PS had written to the NCPB’s Managing Director, Joseph Kimote, instructing him to halt fertiliser deliveries to farmers.
Ronoh stated that the decision was made after determining that some of the fertiliser in circulation did not meet the required specifications.
“Following a spot visit by Ministry staff led by the Principal Secretary to Counties and National Cereals and Produce Board stores, it was established that the above fertilizer being distributed under subsidy programme may not be meeting the required standards as earlier indicated,” the letter dated March 20 reads.
“Your institution is requested to suspend the distribution of this fertilizer with immediate effect from being issued to farmers,”.
As a result, the PS directed the NCPB to penalise providers whose fertilisers fall below the required grade.
Linturi, speaking in Kuresoi, Nakuru County, denied charges of counterfeit state-issued subsidised fertiliser, stating that government fertilisers are professionally tested and authorised before being distributed to Kenyan farmers.
“The fertilizer given to farmers by the government has been tested and we have all the analysis. The fertilizer is okay,” Linturi said.
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Contradictory Directives: Agriculture CS Linturi and PS Issue Conflicting Orders on Fertilizer Sale
