North Rift maize farmers were blindsided on June 14, 2026, when a Kenya Farmers Association director revealed on Facebook that subsidised fertiliser input vouchers would expire on June 20 — just ten days before the financial year’s close on June 30 — leaving thousands of smallholders scrambling to access discounted inputs at NCPB depots already battling persistent stock shortages in Eldoret and the wider North Rift region.
The Voucher Expiry Row and Depot Shortages
Under the fertiliser subsidy programme, farmers access basal and top-dressing fertilisers at a subsidised price of Sh2,500 per 50-kilogram bag, compared to private dealer prices of Sh6,500. The June 14 Facebook post by a KFA director brought a simmering crisis to national attention: input vouchers would be invalid after June 20, 2026, but top-dressing fertiliser trucks had only begun arriving at the NCPB Eldoret depot in early June at a pace wholly insufficient to meet accumulated seasonal demand. KFA said it was formally pushing the Ministry for an extension of the June 20 deadline.
What Comes Next
Pressure is mounting on the Ministry of Agriculture to extend the voucher validity deadline beyond June 20 and publish a transparent restocking schedule for NCPB depots across the North Rift.
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