Nakuru County government has announced plans to construct a potato factory worth Sh 117m in Molo Constituency. Governor Lee Kinyanjui revealed the plans and said that the development wil be set up in Muchorwe.
The factory will be implemented under the World Bank-funded project dubbed National Agricultural Rural Inclusive and Growth Project (NARIGP). The NARIGP project aims at increasing agricultural productivity in rural areas in 21 targeted counties and also improve food security.
Nakuru is among the 21 counties that are benefitting from the Sh22.6billion World Bank project that seeks to boost food security in Kenya. The five-year programme seeks to increase agricultural productivity and profitability of targeted rural farmers in the selected counties.
Features of the factory
The multi-million facility in Nakuru will have an information centre and proper storage areas which will prolong the shelf life of the harvest by between three to six months and also maintain consistency in quality. According to Agriculture Chief Officer Kibet Maina, the storage facility will help cushion farmers against post-harvest losses in the county, which is a leading producer of potatoes after neighbouring Nyandarua County. Statistics from the county’s department of agriculture show over Sh 3billion worth of potatoes goes to waste in Nakuru every year due to shortage of storage facilities.
Also farmers sell their produce immediately after harvest, which sometimes coincides with a period when other neighbouring counties are harvesting, leading to low prices. Mr Maina revealed that farmers will also be able to bulk the commodity and hence improve their bargaining power for better prices. The county has also put up potato cold rooms in Keringet.
“The Sh 117 million structure will store at least four million kilogrammes of potatoes, which will help provide a timely market and better prices for farmers. The aim of the cold storage is to eventually eliminate brokers and avoid post-harvest losses,” said Mr Maina.
Untapped potential
Data from the agriculture department further indicates that the Nakuru County has the untapped potential to realise 25 tonnes per hectare. There are about 20,000 farmers growing potatoes on 38,000 acres where assorted varieties are grown with the Shangi type dominating. It is estimated that the county’s productivity ranges from between eight and 10 tonnes per hectare, depending on agricultural practices and the agro-ecological zone.
Apart from post-harvest losses, farmers in the region have also been grappling with lack of certified seeds, pests and disease infestation, fluctuating market prices, and exploitation by brokers, which Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s administration seeks to tackle. The county is also implementing the 50kg packaging rule which seeks to protect farmers from brokers.
