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By Reuben Olitaย
Farmers in Teso North are staring at a potential poor harvest following a persistent shortage of Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) fertiliser, a key input for top-dressing maize.
James Etyang, a small-scale farmer from Amagoro, says his two-acre maize farm is already showing signs of distress after weeks without access to the subsidised fertiliser.
โI planted maize on my two-acre farm, and for the last three weeks I have been making frantic visits to the Malaba Cereals Board depot in search of CAN fertiliser, but in vain,โ he said.
According to Etyang, the depot only has DAP fertiliser in stockโunsuitable for top-dressing at this stageโwhile his maize crop continues to yellow due to nutrient deficiency.
โEvery time you go, they tell you only DAP is available. Meanwhile, our maize is turning yellow. We donโt know whether we shall ever get the CAN fertiliser,โ he lamented.
The farmer, who had budgeted KSh 5,000 to purchase two subsidised bags priced at KSh 2,500 each, says the situation has left him stranded. At private agrovet shops, prices range between KSh 3,500 and KSh 4,000 per bagโwell beyond his reach.
โAt that price, how can we afford it? How will the government help us?โ he posed.
Etyang further accused officials at the Malaba depot of giving preferential treatment to non-local buyers, some of whom allegedly purchase fertiliser in bulk while local farmers go home empty-handed.
โOutsiders are being given priority. Some are allowed to buy even lorry loads, while local farmers suffer in silence,โ he claimed.
He also questioned the transparency of the distribution process, citing repeated text messages instructing farmers to collect fertiliser, only to find empty stores upon arrival.
โWe receive messages on our phones telling us to go for fertiliser, but when we get there, there is none. Is this a gimmick?โ he asked.
Farmers in the region are now calling on the government to urgently intervene, warning that delays in accessing CAN fertiliser will significantly affect yields this season.
โWe appeal to the government to ensure fair distribution. This fertiliser is meant for farmers. Why is it so hard to get?โ Etyang said.
With the cost of living already high, many farmers fear that the ongoing shortage could deepen food insecurity and economic hardship in the region.
โHas fertiliser distribution become a hide-and-seek game? Only time will tell,โ he concluded.
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