Government cuts fertilizer price to Ksh2,000, halves maize seed cost to cushion farmers from drought losses
The Government has announced further reductions in the price of subsidised fertiliser and certified maize seed as it moves to cushion farmers from drought-related losses and support their return to production.
Under the new intervention, farmers will purchase a 50-kilogramme bag of subsidised fertiliser at KSh2,000, down from KSh2,500, while the Government will meet 50 per cent of the cost of certified maize seed. This will reduce the price of maize seed from KSh300 to KSh150 per kilogramme.
The reduction means farmers will pay KSh300 for a 2kg pack of maize seed instead of KSh600, while a 10kg pack will cost KSh1,500, down from KSh3,000. A 25kg pack will retail at KSh3,750, compared with the previous price of KSh7,500.
The maize seed subsidy targets approximately 40 million kilogrammes and is expected to translate into an estimated KSh6 billion in Government support. Farmers will access the subsidised fertiliser and maize seed through Government-designated distribution channels.
The measures form part of the Government’s shift from subsidising consumption to subsidising production by lowering the cost of agricultural inputs, supporting farmers to increase output and strengthening national food security.
The Government said the latest fertiliser price represents a reduction of more than 73 per cent from the approximately KSh7,500 charged for a 50kg bag in 2022. Since then, about 33.55 million 50kg bags of subsidised fertiliser have been distributed to approximately 1.98 million farmers, with Government support amounting to about KSh78.79 billion.
The intervention comes as Kenya seeks to protect gains in maize production, which increased from 34.3 million 90kg bags in 2022 to 73 million bags in 2025, while maize imports declined by more than 66.5 per cent.
The Government said it will continue supporting drought-affected farmers while investing in irrigation, water harvesting and other climate-smart interventions to strengthen resilience to changing weather patterns.