• Farmers suffer post-harvest losses, poor quality of seeds and storage.
• Lack of markets has led to massive losses for growers.
Image: FILE
The exploitation of farmers by brokers and poor potato prices will soon end following the opening of the multimillion Engineer Foods Processing plant in Kinangop, Nyandarua.
The plant in Engineer town can process one tonne of potatoes per hour and will fix the problem of post-harvest losses and value addition.
For years, farmers have made losses because of lack of market. A factory that once existed, Midland Food Processing, closed its doors years ago over ownership wrangles.
Engineer Foods Processing manager Danson Ndegwa said farmers had gone through untold suffering as brokers had a field day. They lacked support from the national government, he said. This will now change.
After visiting the plant, Ndegwa said that unlike the brokers who bought potatoes in sacks, the plant would purchase per kilogramme.
“Farmers in Kinangop, which produces a lot of potatoes, have little to show for their toil. This plant will process their potatoes and offer them a market,” he said.
The company has contracted farmers in the region already to supply potatoes. The farmers expect to fetch more from their produce.
Ndegwa said the company has employed agronomists to engage the farmers at no cost with a view to improving their production.
“The biggest challenge the farmers have faced in producing potatoes is post-harvest losses, poor quality of seeds and storage, but this will be addressed by the agronomists,” he said.
They will start with farmers around Kinangop. Plans are underway to source the produce from neighboring regions in the coming months.
“We plan to expand in the coming months based on our production and we want to engage the youths to start farming as it’s very lucrative,” Ndegwa said.
Farmer Jesse Kamutu from Kinangop praised the firm, saying it will transform the sector. He said many farmers live in abject poverty because of low prices and exploitation.
“Apart from poor prices and lack of market, farmers do not get certified seeds and value addition for their produce. We hope this plant will change all that,” he said.