Kagwe orders destruction of over 27,500 bags of expired fertilizer

Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Thursday ordered the destruction of 27,518 bags of expired fertilizer stored at various National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots across the country.

The process will be supervised by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

The affected consignment, Sulphate of Ammonia (21%) fertilizer, was supplied by Fine Tech Edge Ltd between December 27, 2024, and January 6, 2025.

Before delivery, KEBS tested samples and confirmed they met the required standards for Sulphate of Ammonia (21%N) and NPK fertilizers.

Based on this approval, 34,100 bags of fertilizer were delivered to NCPB.

“However, upon supply, NCPB noted the short shelf-life, which was to lapse on February 28, 2025, as indicated in the packaging material,” Kagwe said in a statement.

Due to the limited shelf-life, NCPB halted the sale of the fertilizer on February 27, 2025.

KEBS later intervened on March 4, 2025, seizing the consignment and stopping its distribution to allow for safe disposal.

CS Kagwe made it clear that Fine Tech Edge Ltd will bear all costs and losses associated with the expired fertilizer.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining public health and environmental standards while ensuring that farmers receive high-quality farm inputs.

Kagwe also advised agricultural and livestock sector stakeholders to consider insurance as protection against such losses, emphasizing that the government and the public will not shoulder any financial burden from the incident.