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Food security via vertical integration of a new Kenyan pot chain

Goal of the project

This project aims to realize food security in Kenya via vertical integration in a new Kenyan potato chain with as a result:
  • 143,000 tons of top quality Kenyan consumer potato
  • An improved income for 12,250 smallholders of which 60% are women.

Project number

FDOV14KE58

Country

  • Kenya

Location

  • Eldoret
  • Nakuru
  • MT Kenya area

Sector

  • Agriculture
  • Potatoes
  • Sector development

Project budget

€ 13,083,345 (FDOV contribution = € 3,000,000)
 

Partners

  • Migotiyo Plantation Ltd
  • Agrico East Africa
  • KENDAT
  • Farmer Concern International
  • Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Livestock
  • Kenphis

Project description

Currently, Kenya’s dependency on maize as main crop threatens the food security situation in Kenya, because yields are declining as a result of diseases. This threat has been acknowledged by the Kenyan authorities, who decided to choose potato as a substitute for its current dependency on maize. Potatoes are produced by smallholders, who often use the potatoes which are rejected by the market as seed potato. As a result of this and because of poor agricultural practises in general, yields are very low. Another problem is that smallholder farmers receive little money for their potatoes which they sell to middlemen. Due to lack of alternatives and storage facilities, individual smallholders have little bargaining power and have to sell their potatoes to a middle man for very low prices.
This project responds to this situation by working on three pillars, namely:

  • The creation of a sustainable – fully operational and profitable – potato chain in Kenya
  • The realisation of a potato enabling environment
  • The realisation of sufficient potato knowledge.

Activities include
  • the testing of new potato varieties in Kenya
  • the development of two service centres to sort, store and handle the seed potatoes
  • capacity development of smallholder farmers
  • the organization of farmers in cooperatives and commercial markets
  • capacity development of KEPHIS to handle the certification
  • improving tax conditions to realise a fair level playing field.

Note:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is formal partner in this project.

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