Toyota Tshusho is now part of the of subsidy fertilizer supply under a government supported scheme to benefit farmers.
The move to have Toyota subsidiary supply fertilizer to National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) will increase the access of fertilizer by farmers as shortage of the crucial input bites.
Toyota which is trading under Baraka as its brand name will boost farmers’ access to fertilizer since it’s located at the North Rift where most planting takes place.
Toyota fertilizer will retail at Sh2,800 per 50-kg bag which is down from the market price of Sh6,200 with the government expected to pay Toyota a compensation due to the subsidy from the Sh5.7 billion set aside for the 2.28 million bags of discounted fertilizer for food crops.
“We are now getting Baraka fertilizer for distribution to farmers under the subsidy scheme after the manufacturer joined the firms that are supplying us with the products,” said Titus Maiyo, NCBP Communications director.
The Japanese owned firm is manufacturing a special fertilizer used for both planting and top dressing to meet farm needs.
Farmers have been struggling with the shortage of fertilizer due to depleted stocks at the NCPB, which has had adverse effects on the planting season.
NCPB reported last week that it had begun moving fertilizer from other places to the North Rift where the demand to address the current shortage is high.
Many firms including Maisha Minerals, the dealers of Mavuno, Minjingu Mines, Fanisi and OCP Kenya are also supplying the NCPB with fertilizer.
But Toyota deal with the State was signed in 2014 through a memorandum of understanding which allowed them to manufacture fertilizer.
And in 2015, the firm established Toyota-Tsusho Fertilizer Africa Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary and they went ahead and built a fertilizer blending plant in Eldoret, North Rift region.
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