Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett. [Photo: the-star.co.ke]

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Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett is warning potato farmers flouting packaging regulations.

The CS has warned that traders flouting the provisions of the packaging regulations that require them to buy the product in 50-kilo packages will be brought to book.

Bett says the packaging regulation was introduced to protect farmers from unscrupulous middlemen were exploiting farmers using packaging.

Over the years, middlemen in the potato industry on one hand and the government, on the other hand, have been embroiled in a tussle over the packaging limit which saw the state draft the packaging regulations mainly affecting farm produce.

The regulations indicated that packaging for produce such as potatoes should not exceed 50 kilos. Traders opposed to the packaging regulation terming it unattainable.

But the government insists that the regulations have to be implemented as a way of protecting farmers from scrupulous middlemen.

Potato farmers are being encouraged to mechanize their farming and incorporate value addition to increase their earnings.

The government is in talks with both local and international seed breeders to develop quality, high yielding and drought resistant potato seeds to boost potato production in the country.