The National Cereals and Produce Board has sounded an alarm over unscrupulous business people who pose as farmers and purchase subsidized fertilizers.
The managing director of NCPB, Newton Terer, said the unscrupulous business people then again sell the same fertilizers to farmers at a higher price.
“We have reports and we tightening the noose to prevent these business people from making a kill out of a government programme,” he said.
Terer called for collaboration between the national and county governments to vet the farmers benefiting from the subsidized farm inputs.
He said the government intention is to reach out to every farmer with a subsidized fertilizer.
Speaking in Kisumu on Friday when he launched distribution of subsidized fertilizers to farmers in Kisumu, Siaya and Busia counties, Terer said the government will arrest such business people if found.
He said the same business people are selling sub-standard seeds to farmers exposing the nation to food hunger.
Terer said farmers are bound to have a poor harvest if they plant uncertified seeds since they will be prone to diseases.
“I want to appeal to our farmers to be on the look out to business people selling them seeds, please make sure you purchase the seed from a certified outlet,” he said.
Kisumu County Governor Jack Ranguma reiterated his commitment to improve food security in the county.
Ranguma said agriculture remains one of his top pillars and urged farmers to embrace commercialization agriculture.