Farmers face pain from surface fertilizers in Turkey’s ban

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Economy

Farmers face pain from surface fertilizers in Turkey’s ban

Farmers are eyeing a possible shortage of surface fertilizer after Turkey – one of Kenya’s main source markets – banned the export of the crop. FILE PHOTO | NMG

geraldandae

Summary

  • Turkey has stopped the export of CAN (calcium ammonium nitrogen fertilizer), which is commonly used for coating.
  • Farmers, who are planting now, will need CAN for topdressing in the coming days.
  • The ministry pointed out that some traders were hoarding urea, which is also used in topdressing, in anticipation of the price of the commodity rising due to demand.

Farmers are eyeing a possible shortage of surface fertilizer after Turkey – one of Kenya’s main source markets – banned the export of the commodity, paving the way for another round of expensive inputs.

Turkey has stopped the export of CAN (calcium ammonium nitrogen fertilizer), which is commonly used for coating.

Farmers, who are planting now, will need CAN for topdressing in the coming days.

“Most of the CAN comes from Turkey, which has now stopped exports to other countries to secure stocks for its farmers,” the agriculture ministry said in a food security report.

The ministry also pointed out that some traders were hoarding urea, which is also used in topdressing, in anticipation of the price of the commodity rising due to demand.

Major fertilizer-producing countries halted or rationed exports to protect their own interests following the Russian-Ukrainian war, which hit world trade.

For example, China, which is a major producer of potash, which is used in the manufacture of fertilizers, has stopped exporting the product to ensure that the country has sufficient supplies locally.

Last month, the government introduced a subsidy scheme for farmers, which lowered the price of planting fertilizer from Sh6,200 to Sh2,800 while that of topdressing from Sh6,000 to Sh3,000, however , stocks fell at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) due to demand.

This has seen a majority of farmers opt for expensive fertilizers in the market to plant on time.

The shortage limited farmers to five bags of planting and spreading fertilizer at NCPB.

Last week, the NCPB said it had started moving fertilizer from other regions to the North Rift where it is in high demand to meet the shortage.

Some of the firms supplying the NCPB with fertilizers are Maisha Minerals, dealers Mavuno, Minjingu Mines, Fanisi and OCP Kenya.

Last week, growers received a major boost after Toyota Tsusho joined the state fertilizer subsidy program.

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