The National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has proposed an allocation of Ksh 8 billion for the fertilizer subsidy programme in the 2025/2026 financial year; a Ksh2 billion drop from the 2024/2025 financial year allocation.
The allocation was presented on Thursday, June 12, 2025 under the Ksh47.6 billion Agriculture budget, during the reading of the 2025/2026 financial year budget by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi.
The fertilizer subsidy programme, which aims to cushion farmers from high market prices, has now seen two consecutive reductions, down from Ksh10 billion in the 2024/2025 budget, and Ksh 16.2 billion in the 2023/2024 financial year.
The latest cut brings the funding gap to a staggering Ksh10 billion, given that the National Assembly’s Agriculture Committee estimated the programme requires at least Ksh18 billion to meet the demand.
Under the subsidy scheme, registered farmers have been accessing 50kg bags of DAP fertilizer at Ksh2,500, a reduction from the market rate of Ksh6,500.
However, delays in distribution and reports of inadequate supply have sparked dissatisfaction among farmers.
