Nyandarua: Boosting Food Security through Potato Production

The Kenya Kwanza government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) has identified potatoes as a crucial crop in Kenya’s agricultural landscape. As the backbone of Kenya’s economy, agriculture is central to the government’s vision of fostering food security and economic development. Potatoes, the third most important food crop globally after rice and wheat, are the second most important in Kenya, trailing only maize. They contribute approximately Ksh 50 billion annually to the economy, according to the National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK).

Despite their importance, potato farming in Nyandarua County faces several challenges. At the recent launch of the Kenya Sustainable Potato Initiative (KSPI) project in Ol Kalau, Nyandarua, it was highlighted that potato production remains low, largely due to poor agronomic practices and limited access to quality seeds. The KSPI project aims to enhance potato production in four potato-producing counties: Nyandarua, Nandi, Laikipia, and Meru.

The Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) has already recognized potato as one of the 13 priority value chains with the potential to raise smallholder farmer incomes and provide dietary diversity. However, in Nyandarua, where potato farming is a critical livelihood, farmers continue to grapple with issues that affect productivity from seed development to post-harvest losses.

Underutilization of Cold Storage Facilities

One key issue highlighted by Nyandarua County Chief Officer in charge of Agriculture, Samuel Gitaka, is the underutilization of the Ol Kalau Cold Storage facility, a 500-tonne facility designed to minimize post-harvest losses. He urged potato farmers to increase production to fully utilize the facility. However, the challenges of obtaining certified seeds and poor field management practices continue to hamper efforts to boost productivity.

At the KSPI project launch, stakeholders from the four targeted counties noted that the unavailability of certified potato seeds is a major obstacle to increasing production. In Nyandarua, only 5% of potato seeds are certified, with the rest being produced informally. This gap in seed certification is a major bottleneck in improving yields, as many farmers are forced to rely on recycled seeds, which have lower productivity.

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John Rutere, a farmer from Meru County, pointed out that certified seeds are rare and expensive. Farmers often have to travel long distances, such as from Meru to the Agricultural Development Corporation’s Molo farm in Nakuru County, to access them. Denis Kasoo from Laikipia County added that the lack of information and extension services further exacerbates the problem, as farmers do not receive adequate guidance on best field practices.

Efforts to Boost Production and Quality

According to the National Potato Strategy (2021-2025) from the Ministry of Agriculture, potato production in Kenya is predominantly rainfed and largely subsistence-based. The use of poor-quality seeds and inadequate adoption of modern production technologies has kept productivity at an average of 7-10 tonnes per hectare, far below the potential of 30-40 tonnes per hectare with proper management.

To address these issues, NPCK CEO Wachira Kaguongo emphasized the importance of establishing strong institutional, policy, and legal frameworks to enhance potato production. This includes capacity building for farmers, improving access to quality seeds, promoting value addition, and ensuring market access. The KSPI project aims to build a robust and efficient seed system to increase farmers’ access to high-quality seeds of appropriate varieties.

AGRA Country Director, John Macharia, noted that the NPCK, in partnership with various stakeholders, is targeting 150,000 farmers from the four counties to enhance all aspects of potato production. These efforts include improving access to information, seed production, field management, and financial and market accessibility.

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Macharia further highlighted the partnership with the International Potato Centre (CIP) and other NGOs to support potato production. The aim is to increase the percentage of certified potato seeds from the current 5% to 29% by the end of the year.

Through these collaborative efforts, there is hope that potato production in Nyandarua and other counties will significantly improve, enhancing food security and contributing to Kenya’s economic transformation.