Potato farmers in Naivasha have been advised to invest in modern farming methods so as to increase their yields.
According to the National Potato Council Chief Executive Officer Wachira Kaguongo, farmers are not reaping maximum profits from their efforts due to continuous use of poor farming methods.
Addressing farmers at a farm in Naivasha on Tuesday, Wachira noted that much has to be done if farmers in the area were to reap from their toil.
“It’s interesting that some of you have continuously grown potatoes on the same farm year in year out yet you expect to get good yields. Why don’t you try crop rotation and see the difference,” he advised.
“The income of a majority of you is less than the input because you have never invested in certified seeds, proper insecticides, good harvesting techniques and even poor or in some cases, nil marketing,” he added.
He expressed concern in the manner in which the crop was being handled in the area, arguing that the crop had proved not only to a major staple food crop but also a cash crop that was a core factor in the area’s economic stability.
“A majority of you fully depend on potato farming for food while some are in the potato business across the country, why then don’t you invest in it?” he posed, adding that this will ensure farmers get value of their products to avoid being conned by middlemen.
He further promised to involve the county government in setting up a major market in the area so as to directly link farmers to buyers.