Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe has ordered the destruction of 27,518 bags of expired consignment of fertiliser held in various National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores across the country.
In a statement on Thursday, CS Kagwe said the government and Kenyan public will not incur any loss or costs.
Kagwe said the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) will supervise the safe destruction of the consignment of Sulphate of Ammonia (21 per cent) fertiliser that was delivered to NCPB between December 27, 2024 and January 6, 2025.
He said, prior to contract execution, samples of the fertiliser were drawn by KEBS for testing, and the results indicated that the fertilizer complied with the requirement for Sulphate of Ammonia (21 per cent N) and NPK fertilizers as per Kenyan standards.
The CS said the consignment delivered to NCPB after a green light from KEBS was a total of 34,100 bags (50kg).
“However, upon supply, NCPB noted the short shelf-life, which was to lapse on February 28, 2025, as indicated in the packaging material. The supplier was notified of the same and requested to deliver fertiliser with a longer shelf life, as the entire consignment was unlikely to be sold by the end of February,” CS Kagwe said.
“Per standard operating procedures, the unsold fertiliser would not be released to the market and would be safely destroyed.”
The CS said NCPB management issued a sale stoppage order of the same consignment on February 27, 2025.
Kagwe said KEBS seized the fertiliser on March 4, 2025 and has stopped any movement of the same until safe destruction.
“As the supply of the fertiliser is on a consignment basis and the ownership of vests with the supplier until sold, this means that the company liable will bear the costs, and loss,” CS said.
CS Kagwe reiterated that the government is committed to ensuring that Kenyan farmers access the highest quality of farm inputs, that public health and environmental standards are upheld, and that at no time will these be compromised.
He urged players in the agricultural and livestock sectors take up insurance to mitigate such losses.
