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KEBS cautions farmers on substandard fertilizer in the market

Small-scale farmers collect subsidised fertiliser at NCPB depot in Eldoret on April 22, 2022. (File Photo)

By Lucy Mumbi | Thursday, March 21, 2024

In a notice on Thursday, KEBS cautioned buyers of the fertilizer stressing that government-approved subsidised fertilizers meet all safety and quality requirements.

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has warned Kenyans of a substandard fertilizer brand in the market, saying it is not part of the government fertilizer subsidy programme.

“Beware of Substandard Fertilizer: The product trading by name: "GPC Original Plus Organic Fertilizer" manufactured by SBL Innovate Manufacturers Limited, does not meet the requirements of the Kenyan Standards for Organic Fertilizer KS 2290:2018,” read the notice.

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In a notice on Thursday, KEBS cautioned buyers of the fertilizer stressing that government-approved subsidised fertilizers meet all safety and quality requirements.

“Kenya Bureau of Standards top priority is ensuring your trust and safety. We take great care in maintaining a professional and respectful environment for all interactions and are committed to upholding these standards,” read the notice.

The body urged Kenyans to promptly report any instances of suspected substandard products available for purchase through their official app, email - info@kebs.org, Telephone Number - 020 6948000, and Toll-Free Number-1545.

“If you happen to come across a product that does not meet the required standards, we kindly request that you notify us immediately. By doing so, we hope to improve product safety and quality across Kenya and promote greater consumer confidence in the marketplace,” reads the notice.

“Your attentiveness is crucial in safeguarding the well-being of our agricultural community. We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining high standards for our products.”

Speaking on Wednesday while appearing before the Agriculture Committee of the National Assembly, KEBS Managing Director Esther Ngari confirmed that fake subsidised fertilizer is currently in the market.

She noted that tests done on BL-GPC Original fertilizer showed that it was substandard and therefore did not fit to be sold in the country.

According to Ngari, the company had initially applied and been granted a permit to supply the fertilizer in January 2023, but the fertilizer that was tested this year was not the one being sold at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) warehouses.

“The product which KEBS initially certified is different from what has been seized from various NCPB depots in the country and condemned as substandard and counterfeit and thus not suitable for sale in the market,” she said.

She further emphasised that out of the 59 samples they took and tested, the fertiliser failed the organic test because it contained diatomite.

“Because of the failures that we witnessed after we did the testing, we went ahead and withdrew the product. We suspended the permit and seized the product in the NCPB warehouses, we have not seen the fertiliser anywhere else,” Ngari said.

So far, the agency has seized 5,840 bags of substandard fertilizer from the market.

On Tuesday, farmers from Kakamega County lamented about being sold fertilizer that consisted more of stones than solvable matter.