Potato farming in Kenya[photo/graduatefarmer.co.ke]Under the United States Agency for International Development (USAid)-funded Feed the Future Programme being implemented through Kenya Agricultural Value Chains Enterprises (Kaves), the focus has been on potato farming in order to increase productivity and income for smallholders. This was done with a target of assisting about 500,000 farmers to improve incomes across selected agricultural value chains in five years.
The potato was picked from value chains studies which indicate the tuber is big from the beginning to the end of the chain and positioned it as food security crop number two in Kenya after maize, and mainly grown by smallholders. Kenya is dependent on maize which has been attacked by various pests and diseases threatening the country’s food security.
An attack by Maize Lethal Necrosis disease and lately armyworms forced a shift to alternatives and potatoes were a natural choice together with bananas and sorghum among other crops as alternatives. A cost-benefit analysis shows there is money to be made in potato farming. However, the potato value chain is encumbered in problems from start to finish.
Studies show that seed, storage, agronomy, market systems, consumption and everything else about potato is loaded with challenges amid a huge potential to create a robust sector like it is in Europe where they eat potatoes all the time either as a roast, boiled, fried and more.
All in the chain need to understand that everyone needs to make money for sustainability. Like in many other crops, it has been established that there is more potential in smaller units that are easier to manage especially with small farmers who don’t have many alternatives but make do with the land they have.
All that is required is getting organized to give them bargaining power. Storage remains a nightmare in the value chain, creating an immediate need for county governments to build coolers for farmers to use for storage and marketing.
We cannot have a potato industry without refrigeration. You get best prices six months after harvesting and for this to be achieved farmers need technologies like small tractors for efficiency. It is impossible to farm with jembes.
We cannot be farmers without technology. With the right information on inputs and agronomy, Kenya can produce huge amounts of potatoes because there is a conducive environment not found in Uganda, Somalia, Tanzania and many other countries.
When it comes to packaging, extended bags are still in use despite a law prohibiting the exploitative practice. Reports indicate that in counties like Meru, growers have successfully kicked out the bags showing it can be done. Farmers need to work together to set the rules of the game.