CIP and GIZ jointly invest in potato project in Nyandarua County, Kenya

Nyandarua county in Kenya will benefit from an investment in a potato project that will involve large-scale production, processing and marketing.

The International Potato Center and Deutsche Gesellschaft Internationale will undertake the project. The two firms have a similar one in Nigeria.

They will partner with the National Potato Council of Kenya and other stakeholders to implement the project.

Nyandarua Governor Daniel Waithaka, who met CIP and GIZ officials at his Ol Kalou office last Friday, said the project is important in eradicating poverty among farmers.

"Although Nyandarua produces 40 per cent of all potatoes in Kenya, our farmers have nothing to show for it due to exploitation by middlemen and other players," he said.

The delegation, which included GIZ representative in Kenya Jackson Muchoki and his South African counterpart Elmor Schulte-Geldermann, was with National Potato Council of Kenya CEO Wachira Kaguongo.

The two firms will collaborate with rural cooperative societies in financing large-scale production of potatoes by individual farmers and enter into partnership with small-scale farmers through cooperative societies.

The venture will involve use of modern farm machinery.

Kaguongo said the firms will seek partnership with government agencies in identifying suitable potato seeds and storage of farm machinery to ensure the project succeeds.

"We have to use modern machinery in the production and processing of potatoes. We need the suppport of government agencies such as the National Youth Service in the acquisition and storage of the machinery," he said.