The national government has announced plans to establish a National Farmers Training Centre at Marindas in Kuresoi North Sub-County, Nakuru, where farmers will acquire modern agricultural skills and technologies aimed at boosting food security and agricultural productivity.
The proposed facility will be established at the newly commissioned Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) Seed Potato Production Centre, a 600-acre facility expected to serve as a hub for potato seed research and production while bringing agricultural research, extension services and practical training closer to farmers.
The centre was officially commissioned by Principal Secretary for the State Department for Agriculture Dr Paul Rono, who said the government would use the facility to strengthen seed research and production while creating a national platform for farmer training.
Rono said the planned National Farmers Training Centre would bridge the gap between agricultural research and farmers by providing practical training on modern production technologies, climate resilience, value addition and other emerging areas of agriculture.
“Our focus is to ensure that agricultural research does not remain within research institutions but reaches the farmer and translates into increased productivity, better incomes and improved food security,” said Rono.
He said the proposed centre would provide a platform where farmers from across the country could access practical knowledge, interact with researchers and adopt technologies that respond to challenges experienced on their farms.
Rono noted that the Marindas facility would also strengthen the production and distribution of quality potato planting materials while supporting research aimed at improving yields and addressing diseases affecting the crop.
He said the government would continue investing in research and farmer training to ensure that technologies developed by research institutions were translated into practical solutions that could be adopted by farmers.
Nakuru Deputy Governor Dr David Kones welcomed the establishment of the training centre, saying it would complement the county government’s efforts to strengthen farmer capacity and promote modern agricultural practices.
“For Nakuru, this is more than the establishment of a research facility. It is an investment in the future of our farmers and in the food security of our country,” said Kones.
He said bringing research, quality seed and farmer training together would create an ecosystem where farmers could access the knowledge and technologies needed to produce more and earn better incomes.
Kones underscored that one of the biggest challenges facing potato farmers was dependence on recycled planting materials, which contributes to the accumulation and spread of diseases and consequently lowers productivity.
According to the Deputy Governor, more than 95 per cent of Nakuru farmers continue to rely on saved seed, with every season of recycling increasing the risk of carrying diseases such as bacterial wilt, late blight and potato cyst nematodes into the next crop.
He noted that the centre gives the county an opportunity to address the problem by bringing certified, disease-free seed and modern research closer to farmers.
Kones said access to quality seed, coupled with good agronomic practices, had the potential to significantly increase potato yields, noting that productivity could rise from about 15 metric tonnes per hectare to as much as 25 metric tonnes per hectare.
He said the county government would continue working with national agricultural agencies and research institutions to strengthen extension services and ensure farmers benefit from innovations developed through research.
Nakuru Woman Representative Liza Chelule Chepkorir said the proposed training centre would provide an important opportunity to empower smallholder farmers, particularly women and young people who form a significant part of the agricultural workforce.
“The establishment of this training centre will give farmers a place where they can acquire practical skills and learn directly from researchers and agricultural experts,” said Chelule.
She said the centre would help farmers move beyond subsistence production by exposing them to value addition, agribusiness, modern production technologies and opportunities within agricultural value chains.
Chelule said training in post-harvest handling, value addition, enterprise development and market access would help farmers, including women, retain more value from their production.
She urged farmers to take advantage of the opportunities created by the facility and embrace technologies that could improve production, reduce losses and increase household incomes.
The Chief Officer for Agriculture, Leonard Bor, said the County Government of Nakuru would work closely with KALRO and the national government to ensure farmers benefit from the research, seed production and training opportunities created at the facility.
He noted that establishment of the centre came at an important time when farmers were seeking practical solutions to challenges affecting productivity, including climate change, diseases, high production costs and limited access to quality planting materials.
Bor reaffirmed that Governor Susan Kihika’s administration would strengthen its extension linkages with the centre to ensure that knowledge, technologies and improved planting materials generated there reach farmers at the grassroots.
He said the county would also use the opportunity to promote crop diversification, climate-smart agriculture, soil health, disease management and other practices that can improve farm productivity and resilience.
The 600-acre KALRO Seed Potato Production Centre is expected to improve farmers’ access to potato seed, seedlings and agricultural advisory services while supporting increased productivity in the region and beyond.
The establishment of the facility comes against the backdrop of the important role potatoes play in Nakuru’s agricultural economy.
Nakuru County is among Kenya’s leading potato-producing areas, with thousands of farmers depending on the crop for food and household income.
KALRO Director General Dr Patrick Ketiem noted that approximately 20,000 potato farmers in Nakuru cultivate more than 38,000 acres, with the county accounting for about 18.9 per cent of national potato production at the time.
Ketiem highlighted that despite the crop’s economic importance, inadequate access to certified planting materials remains one of the major constraints to potato production in Kenya.
The National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK) notes that certified seed production currently meets less than five per cent of national demand, while certified seed can increase yields by between 30 and 50 per cent and help control diseases such as bacterial wilt and potato cyst nematodes.
Farmers’ reliance on recycled seed is particularly problematic because planting materials can accumulate diseases over successive seasons, reducing crop quality and productivity.
Research institutions have therefore been promoting clean seed systems and rapid multiplication technologies to increase the availability of high-quality planting materials.
KALRO has been at the centre of Kenya’s potato research, including the development and multiplication of improved planting materials and technologies such as tissue culture, rooted apical cuttings and mini-tubers.
The new Marindas centre is expected to complement these efforts by bringing research, seed production, demonstrations and farmer advisory services closer to one of the country’s major potato-producing regions.
The National Potato Council of Kenya has previously used the Marindas site for field demonstrations on soil testing, land preparation and potato production practices.
The facility will provide opportunities for farmers to observe modern production methods and learn how improved seed, appropriate agronomic practices and effective disease management can enhance yields.
Stakeholders said the integration of research, training and seed production at the centre would also strengthen linkages between farmers, researchers, extension officers and other players in the potato value chain.
The wider potato sector remains important to Kenya’s food and nutrition security as well as rural livelihoods.
Potatoes are grown by hundreds of thousands of farmers across several counties and contribute significantly to household incomes, employment, food supply and the agro-processing industry.
The crop also provides raw materials for food processors and creates business opportunities for traders, transporters, input suppliers and other actors along the value chain.
Beyond Kenya, the potato is one of the world’s major food crops.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) identifies potatoes as an important contributor to food security, nutrition and rural livelihoods, with the crop cultivated in more than 150 countries and consumed by more than one billion people globally.
The international importance of the crop has also been reflected in Kenya’s growing focus on research, innovation, seed systems and farmer capacity building.
The country is scheduled to host the 13th World Potato Congress in October 2026, with Nakuru County listed as the venue for the global event expected to bring together participants from more than 60 countries.
The planned National Farmers Training Centre at Marindas is therefore expected to provide a platform for farmers to access practical agricultural knowledge while strengthening the connection between research institutions, extension officers and producers.
The centre is also expected to serve as a demonstration and learning hub where farmers can observe improved technologies and production practices before applying them on their own farms.
Stakeholders say increased access to certified seed, agricultural research, extension services and practical training will be critical in unlocking the full potential of the potato value chain, improving farmer incomes and strengthening Kenya’s food security.
The facility is expected to support farmers not only in potato production but also in areas such as climate-smart agriculture, soil management, pest and disease control, post-harvest handling, value addition, agribusiness and market access.
The training component is also expected to encourage young people and women to participate more actively in agriculture by equipping them with practical skills and exposing them to emerging opportunities across agricultural value chains.
The County Government of Nakuru continues to work with the national government, KALRO and other agricultural stakeholders to promote modern farming practices, improve access to agricultural technologies and strengthen the resilience and profitability of farming enterprises across the county.
By Caroline Nyakio
