By: Joseph Kamau Kiragu
Agricultural farm input subsidy is among the best interventions that can help to lower food prices in the market. Adequate use of improved farm inputs can help increase agricultural production and productivity, which in turn leads to changes in food prices in the market. Kenyans have been feeling the pinch of food inflation to the extent that they have been taking in social media to protest against the high cost of living driven by the rise in the cost of essential commodities such as food.
Despite this widespread concern, the menace has yet not been resolved. Therefore, there is an urgent need to alleviate food security. Agriculture plays a vital role in developing the economy and food security, and subsidizing farm inputs can make them available to the potential users below the market cost, which can increase productivity, reduce poverty ultimately, and stimulate economic growth.
Some of the leading agricultural inputs that can be subsidized include fertilizers and seeds. In Kenya, one bag of DAP fertilizer is currently retailing at around Ksh 6,000 which is a sharp increase. This escalating cost has made many farmers be locked into the planting plans since they also fear the price to shoot if the demand increases. Many people in Kenya depend on agriculture as means of livelihood. The sharp increase in fertilizer cost makes them panic since many parts have started to receive extended rainfall. Some of them have ploughed, which is a sign that they are ready for planting, but some farm inputs such as fertilizer have locked them in their plans.
It is worth noting that most Kenyans have been facing harsh economic times, and this has been making them not buy fertilizers due to their high cost. Therefore, the government has to subsidize fertilizer and extend the subsidies to seeds where their price has also gone up. This move will not only help the farmers, but also it will help the nation at large due to the export income.
If the government fails to intervene in this program, then most of the produces will decrease their production acreage, which will continue compromising the country’s food security. Other farmers might cut their overall fertilizer use, which can decrease future harvest. Reduction of the harvest will translate to higher prices of farm commodities, which inflate the costs of pantry staples such as cooking oil, cereals, and other essential commodities.
Student Maasai Mara University
