Smart Harvest - Saturday 31st 2020

Saturday Smart harvest 1

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 The Standard 31, 2020 FREE with The Standard I Saturday, October

Weed robot to save farmers cost of herbicides.Pg3

Not for sale

4 common diseases that target potato crop. Pg8 Your Companion In Agribusiness

Ed

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al i c e o n i t i

Banking on potatoes In our special Value Chain series today we focus on opportunities, challenges, technology, research and best practice for a potato revolution. Pg 4-5

& Technology

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SATURDAY, WEEKDAY, OCTOBER MONTH XX, 31,XXXX 2020 The Standard

Food Security

Why potato farmers remain dejected lot despite potential Farmers in Nyandarua county share their experience of growing the crop and what needs to be done to make venture more sustainable. johngcom2017@gmail.com

Sh10,000 per acre totalling Sh240,000 per year.

“Potatoes also need spraying to ensure the cold weather does not ruin the crop. So by the time the crop matures for harvest, the farmer will have spent a lot of money which he might not recover after selling the produce,” he says.

Joshua Kagera embraced potato farming with gusto four years ago. Back then he says, things were sweet.

“I was able to live comfortably from growing the crop. I had a steady market and prices were good,” Kagera recalls.

So ambitious was he, that he leased 20 acres in Ol Kalou constituency to roll out the project.

Kagera says the first harvest did well and he was able to secure a market for the produce.

But along the way he says, brokers invaded the value chain and prices started dropping. He has since stopped growing the crop and instead ventured into more promising agri-projects.

“I quit because the cost of farming potatoes in Nyandarua is too high from farm inputs, to seeds and labour,” he laments.

He says potato seeds cost Sh3,000 per bag and a 50kg bag of fertiliser costs almost the same amount.

Kagera says leasing land compounded the cost as he paid

Market glut The other reason why he quit is brokers who dictate prices in the market.

“After you have toiled and soiled your hands to produce the potatoes, somebody comes and dictates how much he is going to pay you per bag. Because potatoes can’t be stored for long, the farmer fearing his harvest might go bad, gives in to the demands of the brokers and sells the produce at a throw away price,” he laments.

Kagera feels potato farming can be profitable if the county governments walk the talk and regulate the sector.

“The promise by counties to ensure potatoes are sold by kilos and brokers are done away with should be implemented. Currently, there are many promises but no action is taken,” he points out.

But the story is different for George Rugene, who maintains that potato farming is still lucrative.

BBy John Githinji

County’s plans Farmers have always

complained about availability of certified potato seeds. To address this, the Nyandarua County has established its own seed multiplication centre, according to County Agriculture executive Dr James Karitu.

Dr Karitu said the seed multiplication which is done through tissue culture technology will ease the shortage that has seen farmers recycle the crop during each planting season.

The centre, he said, will be located at the Ol Jororok Agriculture Training Centre and might be operational by the end of this year.

“When we start availing high quality certified seeds, we expect our productivity to be well over 40 tonnes per hectare,” he said.

Nyandarua is the leader in potato production in the country, commanding 33 per cent of the total potatoes produced nationally per year.

“We produce 550,000 metric tonnes of potatoes worth about Sh10 billion,” said the county official.

On the issues of brokers in the potato value chain, the executive said when cold storage facilities are set up at strategic points, farmers will be able to store their produce for longer and sell when prices are good.

For the time being, he advised the farmers to sell their produce via cooperative societies. He said brokers thrive where individual farmers sell their produce.

Joshua Kagera takes records at his farm in Olkalou, Nyandarua County in 2018. He has since ditched venture.

“For me my experience has been encouraging. The secret is to invest in a good seed variety and tend to it well. I grow Shangi and I have never lacked a market for it,” Rugene says.

Shangi potato variety is grown by majority of potato farmers in Nyandarua County, which is a leading producer of the crop in the country.

Shangi is loved because it matures fast, cooks well and tastes good when deep fried making it a preferred choice by fast food restaurants.

For Rugene, of all crops grown in Nyandarua, potatoes are never thrown away however bad the situation is.

“I have seen people feeding cabbages to their cows because of market glut, but I have never seen potatoes being given to animals,”

he observes.

But though promising, Rugene calls on the national and county governments to make certified potato seeds available to farmers at subsidised prices.

Packaging issues Extension service officers should also advise farmers on how to deal with the extreme cold that many a times leads to crop failure.

“The government should carry out research on how to prevent the cold condition in Nyandarua from damaging the potato crop.

Chilly weather can wipe away an entire crop,” Rugene says.

Looking back, the farmer who has grown the crop since 2000, recalls that many people ventured into potato farming when the government of retired presi-

dent Mwai Kibaki availed cheap fertiliser to farmers.

On brokers, Rugene says they often step into the value chain to capitalise on the desperation of farmers who are always looking for money to prepare their land and buy fertiliser for the next planting season.

Rugene calls on the Ministry of Agriculture to rethink the law banning sale of potatoes in larger bags weighing more than 50kgs.

Agriculture executive Dr James Karitu says enforcement of the regulations has not been successful because of laxity by some counties.

In Nyandarua, Karitu says there has been laxity in enforcing the law due to closure of the two law courts that serve the County – Engineer and Nyahururu due to Covid-19 pandemic.

MECHANISATION

For quality and maximum yields in potato farming, use of machines key to low returns. loam soils where rainfall is higher. suffered by the majority of potato ucrative as it is, potato industry The soil needs to be ploughed and growers, Robley said: “Up to 50 per L is yet to achieve its full potential.

Mechanisation also offers numerfree of weeds before using the seed cent of the crop can suffer harvest At present, the average potato yield ous possibilities to potato farmers. in Kenya is only three to six tonnes per acre. Contributing factors for this dismal performance include mono cropping, poor land preparation methods, planting the seed in a furrow rather than in a bed, substandard potato seeds among others. But there is hope. The yield in Kenya can be increased to between to 20 to 30 tonnes per acre by addressing the weaknesses starting with the selection of the seed potato. Currently as certified seed is scarce, potato farmers are forced to use poor quality seed that continues to limit yield.

Many farmers sell the largest

George Kinuthia (left) checks the progress of the potato harvesting at his farm in Molo as Fergus Robley (right) the Managing Director of FMD East Africa and Jan Solta the Sales Manager of Grimme look on. potatoes for cash, eat the mediumsized ones at home and still use the

smallest for future planting material.

Inevitably, this practice contributes

Explaining the benefits of mechanisation, Fergus Robley, the General Manager of FMD East Africa said: “Instead of following the present practice of land preparation, it is important that potatoes are planted in rotation with other crops, and that potatoes are planted in beds with the correct tilth to allow for good and even multiplication of the tubers and easy lifting at the point of harvest.”

Working with good soils also goes a long way in guaranteeing high yields and quality produce.

“Potatoes grow well in loose loamy soils and some areas of sandy

bed former which is also known as the rotary ridger and prepare the soil

20 to 30

Increase in tonnes per acre if bottlenecks like seeds selection are addressed

to give a bed with consistent tilth with good aeration. As a result, the tubers are encouraged to multiply sideways and on a level.”

With regard to the greatest loss

losses caused by cuts from manual harvesting. This can be reduced to nearly zero by using a potato harvester.” To be fully successful with mechanised potato farming, it is important that quality and proven equipment is used with the necessary training for farmers on the correct handling and maintenance of equipment, so the return on investment is achieved. To avoid post-harvest losses, potatoes can be kept in a cool dry place for up to two weeks.

Subsequently, they need to be put in cold storage which can extend the shelf life for a further two months.

Smart Harvest is published by: Standard Group PLC. Editor-in-Chief: Ochieng’ Rapuro; Managing Editor: John Bundotich; Editor: Hellen Miseda; Production Editor: Kennedy Mureithi; Revise Editors: Gathenya Njaramba, Mark Oloo; Contributors: Gloria Aradi, Gardy Chacha, Mercy Kahenda, Lydia Nyawira, Kevine Omolo, Titus Too, Stephen Rutto, Nathan Ochunbge, John Shilitsa, Manager, Print Creative: Dan Weloba; Creative Designer: Alice Ariri Photography: Benjamin Sakwa, Kibata Kihu, Kipsang Joseph E-mail: smartharvest@standardmedia.co.ke; Website: www.farmers.co.ke

Smart Smartharvest harvest 31

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 The Standard

Innovation 25-year-old engineering students at JKUAT have developed automatic weeding robot that will save crop farmers expense of using herbicides.

BBy Maureen Akinyi

smartharvest@standardmedia.co.ke

Weeding robot to save you cost of herbicides

months since we ordered. Also, getting the capital to build this robot was a challenge. We had to ask our parents, dig into our own pockets and even plough back the funds we won from the Imagine Cup. It was and is an expensive process but it was all worth it in the end.

Two Mechatronic Engineering students at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology Kenneth Kioria and Michael Mwaisakenyi were honoured by President Uhuru Kenyatta on this year’s Mashujaa Day for their invention dubbed ‘Weeding Robot’.

The Smart Harvest and Technology caught up with them to share insights on what inspired the technology and how it will change the fortunes of small holder farmers.

President Uhuru Kenyatta honoured you as heroes during the Mashujaa Day celebrations, how did that make you feel?

Kenneth & Michael: We were very excited that His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta honoured us. We did not expect to be acknowledged by him during his Mashujaa day speech. It is an honour to be regarded as a shujaa especially at a young age and we hope to inspire Kenyans especially the youth to come up with great innovations.

What inspired the innovation?

Michael: It was a response to a need I saw first with my grandfather and upon further investigation, realised every farmer is facing the problem of weed control.

The weeding robot seeks to solve this issue in a sustainable manner.

With your unique knowledge, strengths and skills set, what unique role did each of you play in this invention?

Kenneth: Since we are both Mechatronic Engineers our skill sets are similar. We each designed what we had in mind, compared our designs and ended up combining both to get best results. We both wired the robot, programmed various aspects of the robot and did vigorous testing to make sure everything was working.

How exactly does the automated weeding robot work?

Michael: It is an automatic weeding robot that moves through the farm by itself through the crop rows and it has a tool that it drags to remove the weeds in between the crop rows.

It has a robotic arm to remove the weeds along the crop rows. It uses a camera among other sensors and artificial intelligence to move through the farm and remove weeds. The artificial intelligence is trained using various images of the crop in our case, cabbage. Thanks to cloud platform services such as Microsoft Azure, we were able to train the artificial intelligence model in less than three hours.

The weeding robot invention developed by Kenneth Kioria and Michael Mwaisakenyi of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

[JKUAT Expo]

What powers the robot and can it use affordable energy sources?

From our calculations, we have seen seven robots have the capacity to weed an entire 5-acre farm in around eight hours. So, we are look for investors to fund the pilot phase for a successful run. Once we are done with the pilot phase and have done sufficient testing and improvements, we can start offering our services. We do not plan on selling the robot but on offering our services as we see it to more affordable and sustainable to the smallscale farmers. We have participated in JKUAT Tech Expo where we able to interact with a lot of people and bring awareness of the innovation we have made.

Kenneth: The power source of the robot is a Lithium Polymer LiPo (LiPo) battery of 8,000 mAh. We have four of those with capacity to run the whole day if need be. The batteries are also rechargeable and recharging takes around an hour.

What is the robot’s maintenance needs?

Michael: The mechanical components of the weeding robot are made to require little maintenance. For example, the metal parts are made of aluminum to avoid rusting. The motors we use are water resistant and rarely need replacement. The good thing is the customers don’t need to worry about the maintenance or the cost of the robot because we plan on doing farming as a service model. This keep the costs very low for the farmer to weed their farm while increasing reliability.

What are some of the unique aspects of the technology?

Michael: Currently, using herbicides for crop disqualifies the produce in the international market. The fact that the weeding robot removes weeds from farms without the use of herbicides is a huge boost to any farmer targeting export market. The small holder farmer should celebrate the fact that the robot does not have consumables and therefore allow us to sell the service at a very competitive price to the alternative herbicides.

Weeds are a big headache for most small holder farmers who

Michael Mwaisakenyi explains how invention works during the JKUAT Tech Expo at the main campus. are forced to use expensive and toxic herbicides, what are some of the tangible benefits crop farmers stand to gain by using it?

The number of hours 7 robots can weed a 5-acre farm.

ting cancer. Cancer being a big health risk caused by the primary ingredient called glyphosate in the herbicides, the weeding robot eliminates this risk while allowing the small holder’s produce to be able to enter the international market. The model we have allows the farmers to be able to afford these services instead of losing up to 60 per cent of their yields to weeds which ensures they have almost twice the produce they used to get for the same effort or less.

ing on their farms. This removes a lot of burden of getting and maintaining the robot, it is affordable and low risk.

Michael: Long exposure to herbicides has been found to increase the probability of get-

What stage of invention is it at and when do we expect to see it in the markets and expos?

Kenneth: We are now gearing towards the pilot phase where we plan to have seven robots and 10 farmers.

Kenneth: Given our business model which is farming as a service, farmers do not have to buy the robot and worry about maintenance, faults etc. Instead they can hire us and we do the weed-

8

What are some of the .challenges you faced when developing this prototype?

Kennedy: The major challenges we encountered were acquiring of resources as most of the items were not available in Kenya. We had to import most of the materials especially the electronic components. They also took quite a long time to arrive, around two

Some partners have expressed interest to help you commercialise the idea, tell us more…?

Michael: The weeding robot has attracted quite a lot of interest even from the imagine cup regional finals where we were getting very positive reviews. We had been approached right after that with someone having a project on smart farming. Farmers have approached us quite a number of times to buy one. The problem arises in the engineering process that the weeding robot must go through in order to be a product that is ready for the market.

We want our product to be of the highest quality and that can only be achieved and guaranteed when we have completed the pilot phase. We have run the numbers and the weeding robot is an extremely valuable investment and we have a good strategy mapped out. We don’t want to compromise on quality because we want to get to market and make money quickly.

What message do you have to your fellow budding innovators who are struggling to launch great innovations?

Kenneth: For those who haven’t started working on their idea, I urge them to start. Feedback on your innovations is one of the important things when you’re starting out. They shouldn’t spend a lot of time analysing the markets, whether they will fail or not. They should start with they have, build a Minimum Viable Product as soon as possible and see how people receive it.

Once they have feedback, they can keep upgrading the innovation.

The support comes later but not before you start as now people including investors, see the viability of your idea. For those who have started, I urge them to continue with what they are doing, the obstacles and challenges will always be there. It does get easier in other ways but harder in others.

10 years from now, where do you see this technology?

Kenneth: I see it helping small scale farmers not just in Kenya but in Africa. We plan on taking on the African landscape as they are around 33 million small scale farms on the continent as smallscale farms make up 80 per cent of all farms in Africa. So, there is a huge market for our innovation and great chance to help many African farmers get better crop yields in an eco-friendly fashion.

In ten years, kids will be growing up knowing weeding robots as a common tool for the shamba.

Kenneth Kioria (left) and Michael Mwaisakenyi.

X Smart 4 Desk harvest

SATURDAY, WEEKDAY, OCTOBER MONTH XX, 31,XXXX 2020 The Standard

Crop farming Big headache. To realise full potential, the multi-billion shilling sector needs right policies, farmers to have access to affordable quality seedlings and technology and brokers to be eliminated

How to overcome challenges facing potato sector As things are right now it is brokers, traders and middlemen who are the biggest beneficiaries of potato farming.

BBy Gardy Chacha

GChacha@standardmedia.co.ke

In terms of production and utilisation, Irish potatoes are only second to maize. Kenyan farmers produce 2 to 3 million tonnes of potatoes worth Sh50 billion each year.

Rachael Githinji is a potato farmer from Gathiuru, Nyeri.

She is part of a farming community growing Irish potatoes in the forest slopes of Mt Kenya.

“In total, we have about 75 acres on which we grow our potatoes,” she says.

Known as Mt Kenya Gathiuru Community Forest Association, the farmer’s group, in which Githinji is the manager, produces about 5, 000 50Kg-bags of potatoes every season.

“We have two growing seasons in a year,” she says. “With abundance of rain and highly fertile soils, we are always guar-

anteed of a good harvest.”

For the group, she says, pests and diseases are not the biggest challenge. “We do not have major attacks as such.”

What therefore is the greatest challenge they are facing?

“Finding the right market,” she says. “We produce good quality crop and we just want buyers who will pay top dollar for it.”

Right market Like with farmers all over the country, Githinji and her colleagues (over 500 of them), are not immune to the scourge that is middlemen.

“When we are lucky, we sell a bag at Sh5,000. But this is usually when there is little to no competition.

“The average though is Sh2,500 for the white variety and Sh1, 800 for the red variety.

“And when the market is flooded the price can drop. This is because potatoes are highly perishable. Once mature, you can’t leave it in the field for long.

After harvesting you can’t store it for long.

“If you don’t have cold storage

“The challenge with replanting is that it encourages pest and disease buildup which eventually affects yield at harvest time,” Dr Moses Nyongesa

– which none of us has – then you have to dispose of the harvest before it loses value and you lose everything,” Githinji says.

This is a challenge that county governments in potato growing areas have taken note of.

Dr James Karitu, the County Executive Member in charge of Ministry of Agriculture in Nyandarua County (the leading county in production of potatoes) says construction is currently underway for a cold storage facility that will be able to accommodate at least 1, 000 metric tonnes of potatoes.

“A lot of the work we have done with our potato farmers is in capacity building. However,

we do recognise the challenges these farmers are experiencing with storage and unstable prices.

“By solving storage problems, we will be solving pricing indirectly: so that farmers can store their produce and sell when there is demand. This way, they won’t fall prey to brokers whose main interest is to exploit the farmers.

“The Ol Kalou cold-storage facility is just the start. The plan is to have cold storage facilities in every corner of Nyandarua,” Dr Karitu says.

Nyandarua County is also setting up a processing plant for value addition.

According to the CEC, processing will increase the value of potatoes and hence fetch farmers higher revenues.

Speaking of higher revenues, one of the activities that Githinji’s team has managed to do so well is value addition.

Value addition She says: “There is real value in value addition. We have put forth a proposal to start operating a 24-hour all year round

A farmer harvests her potato crop.Most farmers are faced with challenge of pests and diseases that lead to low yields

POTATO NUMBERS

3 mil

Tonnes Kenyan farmers produce of potatoes worth Sh50 billion each year.

2.5 tonnes

Amount of our potatoes that Kenya exports annually but most of it is in form of products such as chevda, crisps and chips

800, 000

The estimated number of potato farmers in Kenya

56

The varieties of potatoes are grown in

Kenya. The most prominent is Shangi variety.

FUN FACT

Though both sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes are referred to as such, the two species are not that closely related.

Irish potatoes belong in the solanaceae family – same as tomatoes. Sweet potatoes belong to the convolvalaceae family.

Smart Smartharvest harvest 51

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 The Standard

POTATOES GROWING IN ARID AND SEMI ARID AREAS According to KALRO’s Tigoni station Director, Dr Moses Nyongesa, the top potato producing counties in Kenya – in order of volumes – are Nyandarua, Meru, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nakuru and Bomet.

The common denominator with these counties is their high annual rainfall, high altitude and cooler than average temperatures.

“Potatoes grow best in cold and humid places,” Dr. Nyongesa points out. “That is why Mt. Kenya prominently produces the bulk of Kenya’s potatoes.”

Temperature ranges between 16 degrees centigrade to 20 degrees centigrade promote tuber growth, Dr. Nyongesa says. Temperatures outside this range inhibit tuber growth.

“And this is largely true with most tuber crops,” he explains.The crop also does well in higher altitudes: 1500-2800m above sea level, according to Greenlife Africa Crop Protection Africa.Potatoes also seem to do well in areas with average rainfall higher than 850mm spread well over the year.The big question then is: can farmers in traditionally arid and semi arid areas like Turkana and Mandera viably grow this crop?

According to Dr Nyongesa, it is possible, “and it is already happening,” he says.

“We have Irish potato fields in Wajir and Samburu. So, it is possible to farm the crop in these areas,” he says. It goes without saying that in such places irrigation is a definite part of the work needed.

However, he says, production volumes in ASAL areas should be expected to be low compared to the areas that traditionally cultivate the crop.

“Like it has already been said, tuber growth is promoted in cooler temperatures. Hot temperatures therefore hamper tuber development and therefore likely to result in lower production,” Dr. Nyongesa says.

The most important disease for potato growing in Kenya, the potato specialist says, is bacterial wilt.

When the stem or tubers of an infected crop are cut, whitish droplets of bacterial cream ooze out.

“The disease is commonly spread by infested tubers and this has contributed in the challenges we are having with seeds in Kenya. Replanting infected seeds means the next crop will also carry the disease.”

With pests, potato seed nematodes affect the crop in the field. Aphids affect foliage. And potato tuber moth affects the crop in storage.

potato processing business.

“The average price we sell the 50kg bag of the white potato variety is Sh2,500. When we process the same bag into crisps or chevda, the value rises to Sh20,000.

“Sometimes we get orders for chopped (but not fried) and potato chips. When we do this the 50Kg bag fetches about Sh15,000.

“Processing the produce is therefore where the money is for the farmer. Right now we only do value addition for clients who pre-order for occasions.”

The Gathiuru Potato Farmers Group are beneficiaries of a grant that enabled them set up a processing plant with washing troughs, pillers, choppers, clippers, disc millers, electric mixers, dryers, freezers and working tables.

The facility, located in Nanyuki, has earned the farmers millions over the years since 2007, Githinji says.

The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) owns 50 per cent of the seed varieties currently farmed in Kenya.

KALRO’s Tigoni station purposefully handles all matters Irish potatoes.

The centre’s director, Dr Moses Nyongesa, tells Smart Harvest & Technology that the bulk of potato exports in Kenya are in form of processed products.

“On average we export 2.5

tonnes annually of our potatoes but most of it is in form of products such as chevda, crisps and chips,” Dr Nyongesa says.

The numbers notwithstanding, he says, Kenya remains a net importer of potatoes. Production therefore needs to be ramped up if the country wanted to be a formidable exporter.

The biggest obstacle blocking Kenyan farmers from scaling up production, Dr Nyongesa says, is lack of good quality seedlings.

Quality seeds “The only place a farmer can get good quality potato seedlings is from a certified potato seed company.

“In Kenya, there are only 3 major players in the seedling market. There are 14 others in the small to medium category.

“In total the companies are fewer than 20. Yet, they are serving a population of approximately 800, 000 potato farmers in Kenya,” Dr Nyongesa says.

Farmers, he says, have resorted to replanting part of their harvest from the previous season.

“The challenge with replanting is that it encourages pest and disease build-up which eventually affects yield at harvest time. If farmers could access certified seeds every planting season production would increase tremendously,” Dr Nyongesa says.

In Nyandarua, Dr Karitu says: “Through capacity building – with other stakeholders and farmers – we have managed to increase production from 8-10 tonnes an acre to about 17 tonnes.”

Nyandarua farmers, he says, are benefitting from an undertaking by the County government, known as Potato seed multiplication programme.

Fifty six varieties of potatoes are grown in Kenya. The most prominent with Kenyan farmers is the Shangi variety.

Dr Karitu says it is time that farmers started farming other varieties which would prove better than Shangi in quality and shelf life.

“The Shangi variety is known to be highly perishable.

This often forces farmers to sell at low prices fearful of greater losses,” he says. “We are however advising farmers to explore other varieties which may prove to have longer shelf lives.”

Long or short shelf life, the high of growing potatoes, is in earning a decent profit, Githinji reiterates.

“As things are right now it is brokers, traders and middlemen who are the biggest beneficiaries of potato farming.”

Dr Nyongesa agrees with her, saying: “The market needs to be structured. This should have been done through policies. The problem is that those policies are not being implemented.”

X Desk 10 Smart harvest

SATURDAY, WEEKDAY, OCTOBER MONTH XX, 31,XXXX 2020 The Standard

Value Addition

Research

Mt Kenya and its love affair with potatoes French fries are popular in

DR PAUL KANGETHE

I

miss mukimo.

Food is one of the major identity markers of culture.

Potatoes better known as waru to the Agikuyu, is like fish to the Luo, tea and ugali to the Abaluhya, mursik to the Kalenjin communities, muthokoi to the Akamba, matoke to the Abagusii, meat to the Maasai, pilau to Coastarians. The list goes on.

Potatoes, especially Irish potatoes are a major food and cash crop in the Kenyan highlands, widely grown by smallscale farmers. The Mt Kenya region (majorly the Kikuyu community) is popularly known for its love for potatoes.

Nearly 95 per cent of residents grow potatoes.

The average household farm sizes are less than 2.4 hectares and majority of farmers allocate more than 25 per cent of their farms to potatoes, according to a survey conducted by ResearchGate. The main varieties of potatoes grown are: Cangi, Nyayo, Kihoro, Kamande, Tigoni, Maitho, Thima thuti, Red Robin among others.

Indeed, potatoes are a delicacy that is enjoyed by both the young and the old. Not a day can pass without potatoes in any of our meals. The potatoes can be prepared in many ways such as roasting, boiling, frying as in chips and mashing.

Art of cooking The love for this food crop is cultivated into the hearts of the people from a very tender age.

This starts at weaning where a special meal known as kimito (mashed plain potato) is specially prepared and fed to a sixmonth-old infant. Kimitu is also a beloved meal for the elderly and most importantly the toothless members of the community.

Mituru is a simple meal that is prepared by peeling the potatoes, washing them and boiling them whole in plain water. Salt is added to flavour. This is a quick lunch time meal. It is also common with the needy members of the community who cannot afford cooking oil,

onions and tomatoes.

Roasting of potatoes is not very common these days.

Potatoes were roasted the way nyama choma is done. This was a favourite of the elderly members of the community. The potatoes could also be covered with hot ash in the fireplace.

These potatoes were known as waru cia hihio which can be translated as roasted potatoes. If the fire was too much and the potatoes acquired a dark skin, a knife was used to scratch it off. It was considered rude for the woman of the house to use any of the three stones around the fireplace for scratching potatoes — and by extension roasted maize — that were to be eaten by her husband.

The potatoes can also be chopped into small pieces and prepared by wet frying as kitoweo with addition of vegetables either sukuma wiki, cabbages or spinach. Carrots come in handy to improve the flavour.

More often than not, sufficient water is added to make a delicious soup. The accompaniments for this meal are either, rice, chapati or ugali. That sounds strange to some people.

These days, photos of potatoes dipped in soup are common on social media.

Another delicacy that is a favourite with the Kikuyu community is mukimo. An event involving the elderly members of this community is not complete without this ancient meal.

The meal is a mash of boiled whole potatoes, beans and

maize (could be soft or hard) what is popularly known as githeri and special vegetables known as kahurura.

Mabaki leaves or pumpkin leaves can also be used as alternative vegetables.

These leaves give mukimo its identifying green colour. Githeri is prepared separately by boiling maize and beans together and added to waru when ready. A ratio of 3:1 for beans to maize is considered ideal. Once all these have boiled, the chef gets rid of the excess water.

The amount of water remaining determines the consistency of the mukimo, whether soft or hard. Only the large sized potatoes are picked for peeling. This is because lots of waru are used and one would take long to peel small sized potatoes.

Preparing mukimo is not for the faint hearted. It requires skill in mashing as the chef rotates the sufuria making sure that all the potatoes are mashed. When preparing food for many people in events, potato-mashing is a scene to behold. It is a labour-intensive activity.

Every village has experts who prepare this great meal and they get paid to do that at private events. Mukimo with

partially mashed potatoes is always considered low quality and is shunned by men.

To make the delicacy better, chopped onions are deep fried.

The simmering cooking oil with onion is then added to mukimo and mashed again. The meal can be served with beef stew, peas stew as well as kachumbari (a mixture of well sliced tomatoes, bulb onions, grated carrots and chopped coriander).

A plate of such a meal can cost about Sh1,500 in a medium class restaurant in Nairobi. In such hotels, the word kienyeji is synonymous to mukimo.

In the ancient days, mukimo used to be prepared in clay pots and served in bowls as itaha.

Chips are popular among the young people. It is prepared using well sliced potatoes and deep friend. Kachumbari, sodas or juices are ideal accompaniments.

Whole potatoes, bananas and full leaves of spinach or young cabbages are also savour delicacies prepared as a variant of wet fry using beef, chicken or mutton in many nyama choma joints.

The speed at which native Kikuyu peels potatoes is terrific. That is why potatoes are a key ingredient in most of our meals.

Globally, the love for mukimo has spread beyond Kenya.

Kikuyu women living in Europe have mukimo as a key item in menus in their hotels which serve fellow Africans and interested Europeans.

[The writer is resident vet, FarmKenya, PKangethe@ standardmedia.co.ke]

Challenges facing potato value chain

A

ccording to Food and Agriculture Organisation, Irish potato is a major food and cash crop grown by smallholder farmers. It is the second most important food crop in Kenya after maize in terms of production and utilization. Per capita consumption in potatogrowing areas is 116 kilogrammes while in other areas it is 30 kilogrammes. About 2-3 million tonnes of potatoes worth Sh50 billion are produced each year.

But why have small holder farmers not achieved the full potential?

Despite this potential, smallholder farmers continue to face endless challenges related to inadequate access to quality inputs, affordable credit and advisory services.

Farmers sell their produce immediately after harvest mainly due pressing need for money and lack of proper storage facilities. This pushes them to accept low prices offered by traders who on their part have access to price and market information.

Consumers on the other hand still face high or rising food prices. A major, yet underappreciated, agricultural policy issue is how to maintain incentives for farmers to produce more while at the same time protect consumers from higher food prices.

Against this context, FIRST initiated a study aimed at creating an in-depth understanding of the price transmissions, distortions and opportunities along the potato value chains.

The study utilised different approaches in data-collection including field visits to key potato-growing counties of Nyandarua, Nakuru and Narok in addition to literature reviews and stakeholder interviews.

Key findings: 1. There are numerous players along potato value chain.

2. Market entry and participation for smallholder farmers is highly limited.

3. Prices at the farm are determined and set by local traders who seek to maximise their margins by offering low farm gate prices.

For example, prices vary depending on packaging, the most common type of packaging is ‘Kata 3’ 80 kilogrammes bag selling at an average of Sh1,600 at the farm, Sh2,500 at the market and between Sh3,200 and Sh4,000 retail price (unprocessed).

4. Packaging (labour, gunny bags and sisal ropes), transport and cess charges accounts for higher proportions of distribution costs.

5. Just like farmers, local traders hardly participate in wholesale markets which are dominated by a few powerful brokers who set and manipulate prices.

6. The associated (high brokerage fees, cess and market charges, transport costsimpassable roads) high transaction costs are transferred to final consumers or farmers in form of high retail or low farm gate prices respectively.

Way forward?

1. Public investments in physical infrastructure such local feeder roads and cold storage should be given priority to ease distribution and reduce post-harvest losses.

2. Investments in smallholder irrigation systems will allow farmers to produce potato all year-round minimising production variability and price volatility.

3. Policy and regulatory environment should encourage farmers to form cooperatives that enable farmers to benefit from economies of scale, and to obtain a better bargaining position. Private sector investments in potatoes processing should be encouraged.

4. The use of digital marketing platforms like M-Farm and Twiga Foods that help farmers to bypass brokers need to be expanded.

Potato traders at Daraja Mbili Market in Kisii County. Brokers set and manipulate prices. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]

Smart Smartharvest harvest 111

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2020 The Standard

Crop Clinic

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GET IT RIGHT

Four common diseases that target potatoes

To avoid disease incidences, always practise crop rotation and buy certified seeds from trusted dealers

not affected. Scab is most severe in dry soil with a pH above 5.5, and in soil low in nutrients. Tubers infected with scab are edible, however, when blemishes are removed, much of the tuber is wasted.

BBy Georgy Mbakaya

Georgy.mike@yahoo.com

Potatoes are grown for their attractive market prices. However, this lucrative investment can result into frustration especially if diseases strike.

The best way to guarantee success in production is to prevent them.

Potatoes grown in sacks

Late Blight This is a lethal fungal disease that can wipe away your entire crop. The disease is especially damaging during cool and wet weather. The fungus can affect all plant parts.

Infected crop have young lesions that are small and appear as dark, water-soaked spots. These leaf spots will quickly enlarge, and a white mould will appear at the margins of the affected area on the lower surface of the leaves.

Complete defoliation can occur within 14 days or less from the first symptoms.

Infected potato tubers have a dry, corky rot that may be brown or reddish. Tubers do not show symptoms of infection until storage time. The fungus produces a foul odour when infection is severe. The fungal spores are transmitted between plants by rain and wind.

free seeds and disease-resistant varieties. Rotate your potato with crops that are not in potato family such as beans.

Remove and destroy diseased plants and tubers from the field. If the infestation is serious, consider chemical control. The following fungicides are recommended; chlorothalonil, copper fungicide or mancozeb.

Management Always ensure plant leaves are dry through proper spacing. Also avoid overhead watering, especially late in the day. Plant certified disease

Management Practice crop rotation, eradicate weeds, fertilise properly and keep the plants growing vigorously. Remove diseased plants immediately after har-

Early Blight Another fungal disease characterised by small, black lesions mostly on the older foliage. Spots enlarge and concentric rings form at the centre of the diseased area. Tissue surrounding the spots may turn yellow. The fungal spores remain on plant debris and on host plants such as eggplant, tomato and black nightshade.

Bruised tubers during harvesting provide entry point for infection.

Crop rotation Practice crop rotation

integrating marigold which has the potential of reducing nematodes in the soil. Use root-knot nematode resistant varieties. Examine roots of transplants carefully for signs of very tiny knots.

Avoid planting those that look suspicious. Always buy certified disease-free transplants and seed potatoes.

vest. Use disease-free seed.

For chemical control, use mancozeb, chlorothalonil or copper fungicide.

Common Scab disease It is caused by a bacteria and can remain in soil for a long period. Infected potato tubers have brown corky scabs or pits. These spots enlarge and merge together, sometimes covering the entire tuber. Leaves and stems are

Management Ensure soil pH is between 5.0-5.2. Alkaline materials such as lime and wood ashes would raise soil pH making the soil conducive for disease attack. Scab thrives in low moisture conditions. To avoid this, keep the soil moist to stop infection. High levels of nitrogen and potassium increases scab severity. Do not use manure on potatoes, because the bacterial spores can pass intact through the digestive tracts of animals.

Practice crop rotation.

Root-Knot Nematodes: Nematodes are microscopic worms that live in the soil and feed on plant roots which causes stunting. Infestation is characterised by poor growth.

The damaged roots cannot supply the required water and nutrients to the aboveground plant parts, and the plant is dies slowly. The root-knot nematode causes small inconspicuous root swellings or galls to develop.

Testing roots and soil is the only positive method for confirming the presence of nematodes. There are no chemicals available to control nematodes in planted soil. However, there are a number of approaches that can be applied to control the nematodes. Practice crop rotation integrating marigold which has the potential of reducing nematodes in the soil.

Marketplace

Where buyers meet sellers Farmer:Font Korie used: Maru Produce: Boma Rhodes Contact: 0722774306 Location: Eldoret

Aa

Aura Regular

Farmer: Elder Martin Produce: Yams Contact: 0711303668 Location: Embu

Colors used:

Pantone #045304 C - 96%

M - 28%

Pantone #619E1B

Pantone #000000

C - 61% M - 11%

C - 0% M - 0%

Y - 100% K - 15%

Y - 96% K - 2%

Y - 0% K - 100%

R - 4%

R - 97%

R - 0%

G - 83%

G - 158%

G - 0%

B - 4%

B - 27%

B - 0%

Farmer: Kiruri Frankie Produce: Dry maize Contact: 0708689513 Location: Busia Farmer: Kiruthi Senior Produce: Grafted apple seedlings Contact: 0790509684 Location: Murang’a Farmer: Maureen Odira Produce: Tilapia Contact: 0721984733 Location: Tassia, Embakasi

Farmer: Ephantus Kuria Produce: Onions Contact: 0729878778 Location: Mweiga, Nyeri

Farmer: Precious Charles Produce: Shangi potatoes Contact: 0728962769 Location: Nairobi

Farmer: Marcy Muya Produce: Eggs Contact: 0790127733 Location: Nairobi

Compiled by: Nanjinia Wamuswa

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