In the East African Community, the potato industry has been identified as a sector with a market potential valued at approximately Ksh 120 billion (USD 1.2 billion) by 2025. The National Potato Council highlights the potato as Kenya's second most vital crop, supporting around 2.5 million individuals. Efforts are underway to bolster this sector through expansion and value addition to enhance food security.
Potato farmers in Nyandarua and Narok County have formed cooperatives to address the increasing consumer demand and to strengthen their negotiating power in the market. The Cooperative University of Kenya (CUK) is spearheading the "Kenya Rural Transformation Centers Digital Platform (KRTCDP)" initiative. This program aims to improve farmer connectivity, dismantle market cartels, and increase incomes by leveraging digital platforms to facilitate interactions across the agricultural value chain.
CUK Vice-Chancellor Prof Kamau Ngamau stated that the KRTCDP project would provide smallholder farmers with access to essential services, including inputs and public resources. This initiative supports farmers in the potato, maize, and dairy sectors and aligns with Kenya's development goals and the Agriculture Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) 2019-2029.
Source: kenyanews.go.ke