The Government is making fresh attempt to promote the country’s potato value chain a move that will improve farmers livelihoods.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has appointed a task force to make recommendations on the development of potato value chain.
The sixteen-member team has been mandated to examine the adequacy of the existing legal and regulatory framework in supporting the development of the potato value chain.
“Develop a roadmap for effective implementation of the potato regulations including organized potato marketing and export options; develop modalities on the promotion of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) within the potato value chain and building on the steps already undertaken to establish coordination mechanism of potato growing counties for improved performance of the potato value chain,” read the task force’s term of reference in part.
The team will be led by Wachira Kaguongo.
In March this year, Munya launched Potato Production Revitalization Programme that will subsidize the cost of fertilizer and other farm inputs by 40 per cent.
The three-month Programme will be running in Meru, Nyandarua and Elgeyo Marakwet counties is targeted at maintaining the production margins of potatoes among smallholder farmers.
“This programme aims at the vulnerable farmers, considering the rise in the cost of living that affected the costs of many commodities and especially farming inputs.
“We will be using an e-voucher service to connect all the registered farmers to dealers nearest to them, so as to access the products easily and keep the cost of transport low as well,” Munya said.
Munya noted that the subsidies will come in handy to boost the ongoing programme by the County government that is already benefiting 70, 000 farmers across the county.