Farmers in Nyandarua County are taken through various types of
potato seed available in the market.
BY KIMANI TIRUS
Kenya’s potato
sector continues to
experience inadequate supply of quality potato seed of preferred varieties,
forcing farmers to continually multiply low-quality ordinary potato seed.
According to a special report, The National Potato Strategy
of 2021-2025, released
by Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, despite the
many varieties of potato seed developed, certified and released into the
market, many farmers are still not accessing the seeds.
The report cites lack of foundation potato seed that can be
multiplied as a challenge as well as perishability nature of the potato seed,
which makes storage difficult and distribution complicated, since the
conventional distribution channels cannot be used.
It explains that good and efficient distribution needs heavy
investments such as building of cold stores, whose absence, among other
factors, means low accessibility of the seed.
In Kenya Agricultural, Livestock and Research Organisation
(KARLO) is tasked with research on seed potato, which is carried out at KARLO-Tigoni
National Research Centre.
KARLO collaborates with local universities such as Egerton
among others and International Potato Centre (CIP) in the research and the
potential varieties submitted to KEPHIS for evaluation and certification before
they are released into the market.
However, the structural changes that took place in the early
1990s such as allocation of research land to private individuals resulted in
change of ownership of big portions of land for both KALRO Tigon and ADC Molo,
hence causing shortage of land for seed multiplication, the special report
indicates.
According to the report, the two institutions have also been
facing financial limitation to execute their mandates thus contributing to
their inability to adequately serve the industry.
Despite the prominence and importance of potato as a food
crop and income generating enterprise, the crop has not attracted adequate
funding from exchequer. However, some counties have dealt with the situation by
increasing budgetary allocation for the industry.
Compared with other perennial crops, potato farmers are yet
to receive proper financial services and products from mainstream financial
institutions, the report observes. It however notes that Saving and Credit
Cooperative Societies (Saccos) have adopted group lending services ensuring
farmers can access certified seed and other inputs if the groups have viable
business models.
In the report, the Ministry suggests establishment of a
mechanism to access funds in the commodity fund under the Agriculture and Food
Authority Act, in order to mitigate against the industry funding challenge.
Resource mobilization in the counties through the county
assemblies as well as engaging financial institutions to develop and offer
financial and insurance services and products to the industry were also pointed
as other means of mitigation among others.