Farmers mechanize to meet rapidly increasing demand for potatoes

George Kinuthia (left) checks the progress of the potato harvesting at his farm in Molo with Fergus Robley (right) the Managing Director of FMD East Africa and Jan Soltau (centre) the Sales Manager of Grimme.

The fast expansion of cities and towns and the popularity of fast foods have created a rapidly increasing demand for potatoes. Farmers are turning to mechanization to meet this demand by improving cultivation and reducing harvest losses which can amount to up to 50 per cent of the crop.

According to Fergus Robley, the General Manager of FMD East Africa, mechanization of potato farming can help Kenyan farmers produce up to five times what they produce today. This would improve the livelihood of the farmers, help the country achieve food security and reduce reliance on maize.