President William Ruto, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has announced a fresh reduction in the cost of maize seed and subsidized fertilizer.
In a statement on August 24, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the new subsidies aim to cushion farmers from drought-related losses and support their return to production.
“The Government wishes to announce a further subsidy on fertilizer and certified maize seed to cushion farmers from drought-related losses and enable them to return to production,” the statement read in part.
New Subsidized Prices Revealed for Fertilizer and Certified Maize Seed
Under the new subsidy, farmers will buy a 50kg bag of fertilizer for KSh2,000, down from the previous price of KSh2,500.
The government will cover 50 percent of the cost of certified maize seed, reducing the farmer’s price from KSh300 to KSh150 per kilogram.
A 2kg pack of maize seed will therefore cost KSh300, down from KSh600, while a 10kg pack will cost KSh1,500, down from KSh3,000.
For a 25kg pack, farmers will pay KSh3,750, down from the previous price of KSh7,500.
| Input | Previous price | New subsidized price | Farmer saves |
| 50kg fertilizer bag | KSh2,500 | KSh2,000 | KSh500 |
| 1kg certified maize seed | KSh300 | KSh150 | KSh150 |
| 2kg maize seed pack | KSh600 | KSh300 | KSh300 |
| 10kg maize seed pack | KSh3,000 | KSh1,500 | KSh1,500 |
| 25kg maize seed pack | KSh7,500 | KSh3,750 | KSh3,750 |
How Farmers Can Access Govt-Subsidized Fertilizer and Maize Seed
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the maize seed subsidy is expected to cover about 40 million kilograms, with the government providing an estimated KSh6 billion in support.
The ministry directed that farmers will access the subsidized fertilizer and certified maize seed through government-designated distribution channels.
“Farmers will access the subsidized fertilizer and maize seed through Government-designated distribution channels,” the ministry stated.
Further, the ministry confirmed that the measures form part of President William Samoei Ruto’s administration’s shift from subsidizing consumption to subsidizing production by reducing input costs, supporting farmers to increase production, and strengthening national food security.
Fertilizer price cut comes as Kenya seeks to protect gains in maize production
Mutahi Kagwe said a 50kg bag of fertilizer retailed at approximately KSh7,500 in 2022 before the National Fertilizer Subsidy Program reduced the price to KSh2,500.
Kagwe said the government is now lowering the price further to KSh2,000, representing a reduction of more than 73 percent from the 2022 price.
Since 2022, the government has distributed about 33.55 million 50kg bags of subsidized fertilizer to about 1.98 million farmers, with support amounting to approximately KSh78.79 billion, according to Kagwe.
He said Kenya has also recorded gains in agricultural production during the period, with maize production increasing from 34.3 million 90kg bags in 2022 to 73 million bags in 2025.
Kagwe added that maize imports fell by more than 66.5 percent over the same period, saying drought should not reverse the gains. He said the intervention aims to ensure that farmers who lose crops to drought can still afford fertilizer and seed for the next planting season.
“At the heart of this intervention is a simple principle: a farmer who has lost a crop to drought must not also lose the ability to plant the next crop because fertilizer and seed are beyond reach.”
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