NAIROBI, July 22 – The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has launched a Fertiliser Insurance Program to protect smallholder farmers from climatic risks such as droughts and floods.
The initiative unveiled in partnership with Pula, the Bayer Foundation, the Lemonade Foundation, SOMPO Digital Lab, and Etherisc will pilot across 11 counties, including Makueni, Meru, Kisii, Kericho, and Trans Nzoia, reaching an estimated 250,000 farmers this season.
Each participating farmer will receive Sh7,000 worth of insurance, equivalent to two bags of subsidised fertiliser.
“This is a major step forward for agricultural resilience in Kenya,” said PULA president Rose Goslinga.
“Agricultural insurance helps farmers cope with unpredictable climate shocks. By embedding insurance into the subsidy program, we ensure its affordable and accessible.”
Registered farmers under the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (KIAMIS) will be automatically enrolled.
Should drought, floods, or other covered risks occur, compensation will be disbursed directly to their mobile wallets.
Payouts are determined through satellite monitoring and field surveys.
According to NCPB Acting Director General Samuel Ndung’u, the subsidy remains at Sh2,500 per bag.
“This insurance is an enhanced benefit at no extra cost to farmers this season. In the future, the cost will be modestly built into the fertilizer price without increasing the burden.”
With agriculture contributing 33 percent to Kenya’s GDP and supporting over 70 percent of the rural population, the program the government maintains will unlock financing, stabilise rural incomes, and strengthen national food security.
