Egerton University, the National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK), and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) have initiated a partnership aimed at enhancing sustainable potato production in Kenya. This collaboration gave rise to the Kenya Sustainable Potato Initiative (KSPI), a project launched in July 2024 with a focus on adopting climate-smart potato farming practices to boost yields and profitability over three years.
The project, with a budget of US$1.5 million, seeks to directly augment the productivity and earnings of 150,000 potato farmers and generate employment for over 4,000 youths, while indirectly benefiting an additional 300,000 farmers through value-chain improvements. A significant portion of the direct beneficiaries includes women (40%) and youth (10%).
KSPI is concentrating its efforts on Nyandarua, Meru, Laikipia, and Nandi counties, known for their substantial potato production. The initiative aims to fortify 400 potato farmer groups within these regions by facilitating access to structured marketing systems, digitization, farm inputs, market access, and fair pricing mechanisms.
Professor Anthony Kibe, leading Egerton University's involvement in KSPI, highlighted the potato's critical role in Kenya's diet and economy, being the second-most consumed staple after maize. Despite the crop's significance, current production levels fall short of demand, with Kenya producing only nine tons annually, a stark contrast to Egypt's 40 tons.
The initiative also addresses challenges such as low seed quality, limited access to farm inputs, pest and disease management, insufficient rainfall and irrigation, and the need for enhanced potato farming research. KSPI aims to improve agronomic practices and integrate 190 students and youths into the value-chain process, offering them experiential learning opportunities. Additionally, the project plans to train village-based advisers on climate-smart potato production, innovation, management practices, and reducing post-harvest losses by 50%.
NPCK's chairman, Professor John Nderitu, emphasized the critical issue of access to certified seed for potato farmers, with plans to triple seed production over the next three years. The initiative seeks to establish a robust potato seed production system, ensuring access to high-quality seeds and promoting inclusivity among smallholder potato farmers.
Kibe further noted the strategic importance of the potato in achieving the goals of Vision 2030 and the government's bottom-up economy strategy, aiming to elevate small-scale farmers' income levels and create youth employment opportunities. KSPI also offers practical experience in potato production and management for students through attachments and internships.
Source: University World News