Nairobi, April 29 -- Small-scale farmers in the North Rift region are being forced to buy fertiliser at nearly double government prices as the shortage of subsidised supplies through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) persists across key maize-growing counties.

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) fertiliser under the government subsidy programme is meant to retail at Sh1,950 per 90-kilogram bag. However, it remains unavailable in many NCPB depots, leaving farmers to rely on private dealers charging about Sh2,800 per bag.

NCPB has attributed the shortage to high seasonal demand, insisting that distribution is ongoing across its depots.

"What is happening is that there is high demand for top-dressing fertiliser, but distribution is...