Potato farmers incurred losses to the tune of Sh13 billion ($130million) due to lack of proper storage facilities, poor harvesting and handling mechanisms.
A meeting of agriculture stakeholders heard that the losses in the sub-sector were being made worse by a lack of suitable finance products and the inconsistent quality of potato seedlings.
National Potato Council of Kenya board member, Kimani Rugendo, said the setbacks, combined with an inadequate flow of information and limited market partnerships, had led to the low commercialisation of technologies and innovations.
“Certified seed usage is below five per cent in all East African countries due to poor seed systems and insufficient multiplication. There is also little investment in local multipliers and open access to potato varieties,’’ Rugendo told the stakeholders in Nairobi.
source: mediamaxnetwork.co.ke
