Brokers and middlemen have been given up to April 2 to comply with the new rule in the potato sector that requires them to conform to a 50-kilogramme rule per bag.
The Agriculture and Food Authority with the Ministry of Interior and stakeholders in the Potato value chain said the new rule will be effected next month and all stakeholders will have to adhere to it.
Addressing a news conference on Thursday at AFA headquarters in Nairobi, Kello Harsama, the agency’s acting director-general said value chain players will be required to comply with the guidelines by dropping the current instances where potatoes are weighed in 110-kilogramme bags.
“Key in the implementation process is to ensure packaging in the required standard of 50Kg. The enforcement will be executed in the entire value chain from the farm to the markets,” said Harsama.
He said inspectors have been recruited and duly briefed ahead of the crackdown across the potato growing counties and major markets.
“AFA has gazetted a total of 130 inspectors who will enforce the regulations in several counties including Nyandarua, Narok, Nakuru, Meru, Nyeri, Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin GIshu, Kiambu and Nairobi,” he said.
He said the inspectors will work with the law enforcement agencies from the national and county governments.
A sensitisation exercise will start next week Tuesday across the major Irish Potato growing counties targeting farmers, traders and transporters.
The 50-kilogramme rule was challenged in court leading to delays in its implementation as the cartels moved to court to stop the new law.
