President William Ruto has announced a fresh reduction in the cost of maize seeds and subsidized fertilizer
Speaking during a church service in Taita Taveta County on Sunday, August 23, Ruto said the new prices would take effect within the next two weeks as the government seeks to encourage farmers to take advantage of the expected rains and increase food production.
Ruto Announces New Maize Seed and Fertilizer Prices
Ruto said the government will reduce the fertilizer price from the current KSh2,500 to KSh2,000 per bag, a further KSh500 reduction.
“I am making an announcement to all our farmers that from next month, in the next two weeks, we are going to subsidize maize seeds by 50% and reduce the cost of fertilizer by another 500 shillings. So that the bag that was selling at 2,500 is going to be sold at 2,000 from the next two weeks,” said Ruto
The latest announcement adds to the government’s ongoing farm-input subsidy program, which has already brought the subsidized fertilizer price down substantially from earlier levels. In August 2023, Ruto reduced the price of a 50kg bag from KSh3,500 to KSh2,500.
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The government has also been expanding its support for certified maize seed. In March 2026, the Agriculture Ministry announced subsidized maize seed prices, with a KSh2 billion allocation provided for the programme in the 2025/26 financial year.
Government Expands Input Subsidy Programme
The announcement follows the government’s indication that it would continue lowering the cost of agricultural inputs to support production.
Earlier in August, Ruto said the government planned to reduce the prices of fertiliser and seeds ahead of the next planting seasons following poor and erratic rainfall that affected farmers in parts of the country. He said the measures aimed to encourage farmers to return to their farms and increase food production.
The government has also maintained a substantial budgetary commitment to fertilizer subsidies. The 2026/27 budget increased the allocation for the fertilizer subsidy programme from KSh8 billion in the previous financial year to KSh18 billion.
Ruto Urges Farmers to Take Advantage of Coming Rains
Ruto said the latest reductions are intended to encourage farmers to make use of the rains expected in the coming planting period.
He said the government wants farmers to produce more food to strengthen Kenya’s food security rather than relying heavily on imports when domestic supplies fall.
“So that we can encourage our farmers to use the rain that is coming so that we can grow more food and make sure that we stabilize our food security in the Republic of Kenya,” added Ruto.
The move comes as Kenya seeks to increase domestic grain production after weather disruptions affected agricultural output.
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 A March 2026 United States Department of Agriculture assessment projected that Kenya’s maize production could rise by 32% to 4.5 million tonnes in the 2026/27 marketing year if rainfall improves and farmers expand acreage.
According to Economic survey 2026, there has been a gradual recovery in maize production, with Kenya’s output increasing from 44.8 million bags in 2024 to 45.8 million bags in 2025.
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