The County will be embarking on the enforcement of potato packaging which requires packaging in 50 Kg bags according to the Crop (Irish Potato) regulations 2019.
According to Agriculture Chief Officer, Mr. Kibet Maina, Potato is the county’s second most profitable value chain with a Ksh. 7 billion income.
He was speaking during a potato value chain consultative meeting where he urged stakeholders to work together to ensure compliance of the regulations.
Mr Maina acknowledged shortage of clean certified planting material and unclean farming land among other challenges and said the County would work with various partners to help work through the challenges facing farmers.
In addition to that, plans to build a potato cold storage unit in Muchorwe, Molo Sub County are also underway under the National Agricultural Rural Inclusive and Growth Project (NARIGP).
The Ksh. 117 Million structure will be able to store 4 million kilograms of potato 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.
Mr. Oscar Kasingo, AFA representative, congratulated the County on significant milestones towards the development of the value chain and encouraged capacity building on marketing functions at the collection centers which will reflect to the cold unit.
The Nakuru County Potato Union also aims at registering more potato cooperatives into the union to help farmers aggregate and collectively sell their produce.
