Potato seed firm boosts yields with certified varieties

Agrico Potato Service Africa Director Kimoi Moi (second left) with Netherlands Ambassador to Kenya Maarten Brouwer (second right) at Kabarak farm, March 22, 2021. Looking on is Agrico company operations manager Brian Luckhurst (left). [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Certified potato producer Agrico has mooted a platform where farmers can access vital information about the crop’s farming, aimed at turning around growers’ fortunes.

Agrico Potato Service Africa Director Kimoi Moi said the firm aims to make farming a high-value lucrative venture. “Our seedlings are available nationwide for smallholder farmers and through our website, we’ll show how it will be easy to access,” he said.

This comes at a time when the country is looking for more markets to increase crop production. Kenya earned more than Sh7.b billion from potato farming last year.

Production farms

And perhaps it is the many biosecurity check stop-overs on entry to farms, or its heavy investment in technology to support quality potato seeds production that sets Agrico Potato Service Africa apart in Nakuru County.

Inside one of the largest potato seed production farms in the country is a tale detailing a journey to solving the biggest challenge for potato farmers - acquiring quality seeds to increase yields and profits.

From importing quality potato seedlings from the Netherlands and propagating them to produce 4,800 to 5,000 tonnes of potatoes annually, the company has risen to be one of the leading producers of certified seeds for over 800,000 small-holder farmers.

“We started in 2015 with the aim of solving the challenge which many farmers were facing. Accessing quality potato seeds has been a bottleneck that had over the years resulted in poor yields and farmers making losses. The past few years have however marked a turnover from making losses to a highly profitable business,” Kimoi said. The firm, which churns out potato seeds throughout the year, has invested in technology to enable it utilise both rainy seasons and integrate it with irrigation.

The adoption of irrigation has boosted the production of seeds to the farmers. Farmers can now access the five varieties of high-yielding quality potatoes where one seedling can yield up to 15 potatoes compared to 10 or fewer potatoes for uncertified seeds.

“I used to farm other varieties previously but then I tried Monitou variety since I was targeting both home consumption and for making French fries. In half an acre, I currently expect between seven to 10 tonnes and I have since increased the cultivation area to two acres because it is more profitable,” said Priscillah Ndungu, a farmer.

Kimoi said high yields demand that farmers are trained on planting and investing in quality inputs as well as considering the climatic conditions and the target market.

“That is why we have rolled out a website where we post educational videos and farming tips for farmers. On the website, farmers can also learn of different varieties and even where to purchase the seeds. We also have on-farm training and demonstration plots where farmers attend training every month,” he added.

Netherlands ambassador to Kenya Maarten Brouwer lauded the project for detailing how the private sector can transform farming.

“Knowledge sharing is vital and making training and demonstrations available for farmers is something huge. It shows how ambitious the project is in promoting potato production in the country.”

Brouwer, who visited the farm this week for the launch of the Agrico website, said the availability of high-yielding seeds and training on production can motivate younger people to explore farming and make it a profitable activity.

Kimoi said the company has integrated rain-fed farming and irrigation to meet their targets. “Every year, we target over 800,000 small-holder farmers and that means we have to work to get them quality seeds throughout the year, the reason we have adopted irrigation of potatoes during the drier season.”

Diana Gitonga, Go-to-Market Manager Vegetables and Potatoes for Sub-Saharan Africa said potatoes have to meet certain standards for grading.

Out of the 4,800 and 5,000 tonnes of potato seeds where the majority goes to small-holder farmers, 25 per cent often consist of potatoes that can be consumed.

Kimoi said scaling up production entails investing in the right infrastructure and striving to keep diseases at bay.

Nakuru County Chief Executive for Agriculture Immaculate Maina said the devolved unit was the second-largest producer of potatoes in the country - producing up to 10 billion tonnes annually.