Kenya – The National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK), in partnership with KALRO and Egerton University, is set to train over 150,000 smallholder potato farmers in climate-smart innovations and technologies. The initiative, called the Kenya Sustainable Potato Initiative (KSPI), is a three-year project worth Sh195 million (US$1.5 million) and aims to boost production, improve incomes, and create employment for youth.
Key highlights of the project:
Target Farmers: 150,000 direct beneficiaries, including 40% women and 10% youth, with an additional 300,000 farmers benefiting indirectly.
Geographical Focus: Nyandarua, Meru, Laikipia, and Nandi counties.
Farmer Support: Strengthening 400 potato farmer groups through structured marketing systems, digitization, farm inputs, access to markets, and fair pricing.
Seed Production: Increasing certified seed production from 900 metric tons to potentially three times over three years.
Technology & Training: Farmers and agricultural extension officers will learn climate-smart practices, mechanized farming, sustainable methods, and post-harvest loss reduction by 50%.
Economic Impact: Potato is Kenya’s second most consumed food crop after maize, supporting over 2 million people and contributing more than Sh50 billion annually.
Challenges Addressed:
Low access to certified seeds (only 5% of farmers currently).
Post-harvest losses, poor marketing strategies, and climate-induced risks.
Low productivity, averaging 7 tons per hectare versus the potential of 40 tons per hectare.
Additional Benefits:
Internships and experiential learning for 190 students and youth in the potato value chain.
Value addition including starch and animal feed production.
Aligns with Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the government’s bottom-up economic strategy.
The project will run until June 2027, aiming to make potato farming more productive, sustainable, and attractive to youth while improving food security and farmer incomes.