News on The Potato Supply Chain from Kenya

Kenya loses Sh19 billion annually due to poor production and processing of potatoes, a 2014 study has revealed.

The Nyandarua government is partnering with the National Potato Council and German organisation GTZ to introduce varieties of potatoes suitable for processing

Nakuru will test and release (late blight resistant) varieties of potato seeds for small-scale farmers, Agriculture executive Dr Stanley Chepkwony has said.

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

Kenyan potato factory Midlands limited not only adds value at the processing level but also from the farm gate. It provides land in case one has none, cultivates and offers advisory services during planting, dressing and harvesting

Under a bilateral deal with lead potato seed producer the Netherlands, the government has cleared four new potato seed varieties for use by local farmers.

The recently published LEI/WUR report ‘The value chain for seed and ware potatoes in Kenya’ emphasises the importance of conditioned storage for the continuous availability of certified seed potatoes.

Potato in Kenya is an important food crop, second to maize. In 2011 the Dutch and Kenyan government agreed to support an initiative to support seed potato development in Kenya in order to increase yields and enhance food security.

During a recent meeting of governors and county representatives from 14 counties in Nakuru (Kenya) on irish potato production, packaging and marketing, it was resolved that from January 2014, farmers should pack their produce in not more than 50kg bags.

Njoroge is studying a new lineage of Phytophthora infestans called KE-1 that is spreading rapidly across East Africa.

Según estudios recientes, la población del patógeno en Kenia y parte de Uganda se ha modificado tan rápidamente que podría volverse inmanejable para los agricultores.

Pearl Capital Partners (Pearl) has recently concluded an investment of KSh 200 million (US$ 2,300,000) in the Kenyan potato processor Midlands Limited through the African Agricultural Capital Fund (AACF).

Kenya is expected to benefit from this bilateral agreement with the government of the Netherlands to produce new varieties of potatoes and boost potato growing in Kenya.

East African farmers, who are mostly small-scale, currently select their seed potatoes from the mass of harvested potatoes. That results in lots of virus diseases and potato brown rot, as well as low yields of an average of 10.5 tons per hectare. Tha...

Potato Farmers in Kenya have opposed a decision by the government to import seed from the Netherlands, insisting that the move will kill the little but growing initiative to produce clean planting seed potato and will expose the country to potato disea...

A project to introduce low-cost potato seed storage system in regions in Kenya where the crop is grown has been launched.

A major controversy has broken out over government plan to import seed potato favoured for the production of high quality crisps and chips.

Kenya will start importing high quality potato seeds following the signing of bilateral agreement with the Netherlands government.