Potato farmers will from Monday package their produce in 50kg bags, a new government directive says.
The move is set to protect farmers from exploitation by traders as well as impose stringent rules to curb the use of extended bags in packaging of potatoes.
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei said farmers will from Monday package their produce in 50 kg bags, a move which will ensure they make profits from their produce.
"The regulation will protecting farmers from exploitation by middlemen. Regulated packaging will see farmers counting profits on their produce as well as boosting food production in the country,” Koskei said while addressing potato farmers in Kirenget.
The extended bags locally known as Dusla takes up to 280kg of potatoes.
The CS said packaging the produce in extended bags leads to a lot of waste while it fetches low prices in the market yet it is the farmer who bears the brunt.
He said the price at which middlemen buy potatoes in extended bags from farmers is a way of exploitation since the farmers buy certified seeds in 50kg bags at Sh3,000 while they are forced to sell 280kg bag between Sh1,500 to Sh2,000.
The directive will also see farmers being banned from selling their produce in 220kg bags. Koskei said stringent rules banning the sale of the produce in extended bags will be put in place.
According to John Rono, a potato farmer, he said the move comes as a relief to many farmers as they will get a chance to count profits instead of losses.
“The move will encourage many farmers who were already counting losses to reconsider farming potatoes,” Rono said.