The County Government of Nakuru has empowered potato farmers with climate-smart innovations and technologies to help them increase the crop production both for domestic consumption and for export.
Deputy Governor David Kones said they were also working to equip agricultural extension officers working with smallholder farmers to train them on modern farming practices that will mitigate against risks like drought, floods, climate-induced pests and diseases.
Kones at the same time affirmed that the devolved unit’s administration was enforcing the Irish Potato Regulations 2019 that compel traders to package the crop in 50-kilogram bags.
“Those found contravening the rules will be prosecuted and risk being fined Sh500,000 or being jailed for a year,” Kones warned.
Kones said enforcement of the regulations was designed to protect farmers from unscrupulous traders who buy potatoes cheaply in the extended bags commonly known as ‘dusura,’ then go to the market and repackage them into smaller units, where they make a killing when they resell.
Despite Crop (Irish Potato) regulations 2019 rules requiring that potatoes be packed in 50kg bags, middlemen take advantage of the glut and exploit farmers by forcing them to pack the produce in 100-180kg bags for almost the same price as the 50kg bag.
The deputy governor spoke during a meeting with officials of the National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK), led by its Chief Executive Officer, Wachira Kaguongo, ahead of celebrations to mark the International Day of Potato that will be held at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) center at Marindas in Nyota Ward within Kuresoi North Sub-County.
The International Day of Potato is celebrated annually on May 30th. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2023. It aims to raise global awareness of the potato’s importance as a food staple and its contribution to food security, nutrition, and livelihoods.
The Deputy Governor indicated that during the celebrations young farmers will showcase their innovations in the potato value chains, with the winner and two runners-up sharing a prize of Sh325,000.
Kones further said that during the event, they will relaunch the Crops (Irish Potato) Regulations, 2019, which he added will help address the prevailing challenges in the Potato Sector, including the use of extended bags, quality assurance and marketing and Licensing of actors in the Potato value chain.
Kones regretted that lack of certified seeds and poor marketing strategies have continued to hamper the lucrative potato trade in Nakuru County adding that scarcity of certified potato seeds in Kenya had stagnated production of the crop at seven tons per hectare against a potential of 40 tons.
While observing that Kenya’s potato seed demand was at 30,000 tons annually, Kones lamented that Nakuru which is the second largest producer of the crop in Kenya after Nyandarua County, was now producing a mere 6,700 tons, with most farmers recycling crops from the previous season to use as seed, a move he blamed for the shortage that the country faces.
In Nakuru, there are about 20,000 farmers growing potatoes on more than 38,000 acres of land with a total production of 160,000 tonnes of assorted varieties being grown.
Kones urged farmers to buy the right seeds if they hoped to have a competitive edge in the market saying that the quality of potato seeds was critical because bad seeds would give poor yields and poor returns.
“As second in production of potatoes in the country, Nakuru County is deliberate in getting farmers to plant the right varieties for the market,” added Kones.
He indicated that Governor Susan Kihika’s administration was forging public-private partnerships aimed at supporting farmers to access new markets, both domestically and internationally, which could provide them with better prices and more stable incomes.
The deputy governor added that the county government will continue to focus on the development of agriculture and the creation of new opportunities for local farmers adding that its leadership the devolved unit was supporting activities aligned to climate-smart innovations to ensure that farmers adopt climate-smart agriculture practices and technologies which are geared towards cushioning them against the challenges they are facing.
He further said they were using various forums, including farmers’ field days, to disseminate information to farmers to address climate change challenges with an ultimate goal of translating the information, knowledge and new technologies into increased incomes for smallholder farmers and alleviating poverty.
Kones observed that many potato farmers who had adopted climate-smart agriculture have been experiencing challenges like access to certified seeds, pests and diseases and soil-borne diseases and said the County was collaborating with research institutions in coming up with solutions that supports potato smallholder farmers to tackle the risks.
“We are promoting adoption of practices and technologies that will be able to support farmers to conduct potato farming in a climate-smart way by focusing on environmental conservation,” he added.
Initiatives by the County government to improve potato farming, he stated, were addressing the entire chain from soil testing, soil management, quality seeds and best husbandry to marketing in addition to improved value addition including starch and animal feed production.
Nakuru is the second largest producer of the crop in Kenya accounting for 18.9 percent of national production, with Nyandarua leading at 29.8 percent and Elgeyo Marakwet third at 16.2 percent. Other potato-producing regions include Makueni, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Samburu, Kajiado and Kwale.
In Nakuru, there are about 20,000 farmers growing potatoes on more than 38,000 acres of land with a total production of 160,000 tonnes of assorted varieties being grown with shangi dominating.
In Kenya, potatoes are the second most consumed staple food after maize. However, it is laden with a myriad of challenges such as lack of certified seed, lack of training in good agricultural practices for optimal potato production, access to modern technology, access to markets, and poor uptake solutions geared towards reducing the potential impact the sector has towards climate change.
Potatoes are also Kenya’s second most produced crop after maize. On average, 1.35 million tonnes of potatoes are produced in Kenya annually.
Potato is grown by about 800,000 farmers spread across several counties including Bomet, Bungoma, Elgeyo Marakwet, Kericho, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Meru, Muranga, Nakuru, Narok, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot.
By Esther Mwangi and Mary Ochieng
