Peel money off potatoes the smart way

Eunice Wanyonyi, a field officer at the ADC Sirikwa Farm in Kuresoi North in Nakuru County shows an overgrown Shangi potato seed during a farmers field day . The farm is a breeding ground for shangi variety which is popular for making French fries. PHOTO| FRANCIS MUREITHI| NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Sang has been a potato farmer for the last 10 years cultivating the Shangi variety, which he sells to local traders for an average of Sh2,000 per 110kg bag.
  • Dr Komen, who is spearheading a potato awareness campaign, said in collaboration with The Netherlands, farmers now have 52 high-yielding varieties to choose from.
  • The fertiliser should be placed in the furrows before planting. A farmer should check before planting to ensure there is uniformity along the furrows and since smallholder farmers do it manually, if one notices excess fertiliser, it is advisable to scoop it, the expert advises.

On the edge of Mau Forest in Kerenget, Nakuru County, sits Sammy Sang’s three-acre farm hosting potatoes.
Sang has been a potato farmer for the last 10 years cultivating the Shangi variety, which he sells to local traders for an average of Sh2,000 per 110kg bag.


To grow the crop, Sang first starts by tilling the land. He then spreads farmyard manure on the farm before tilling again.
“I, thereafter, dig parallel furrows without minding the spacing and how deep they are,” he said, adding one can estimate the spacing of the furrows depending on the size of the land, but farmers approximate to about 2ft while the depth is measured by the size of the hoe.


After that the small tubers selected from the previous harvest are planted.
Once the crops sprout, he weeds at least twice and his produce is ready for harvesting after some three months. He harvests using a hoe.
“I harvest between 30 and 50 110kg bags of potatoes per acre but most of the time I am usually stranded with my produce because of poor market.”
His plight is shared by hundreds of other potato farmers in all the growing zones, from Nyandarua to Mt Elgon.


Agricultural experts, however, noted it is time to change the traditional way of farming the crop for better harvest and more money. The experts together with farmers converged last week at ADC Sirikwa Farm in Kuresoi North, Nakuru and discussed modern ways of farming the crop.
“Things have changed, including the market and uses of potatoes, therefore farmers should grow their crops in a better way. Shangi is the most popular variety, but there are many others that farmers should be aware of,” said Dr Simeon Komen, a plant examiner at Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis).


Dr Komen, who is spearheading a potato awareness campaign, said in collaboration with The Netherlands, farmers now have 52 high-yielding varieties to choose from.
They include Ambition, Laura, Lady Amarilla, Derby, Markies, Sagitta, Saviola, Musica, Royal, Jelly, El Mundo, Faluka, Challenger, Evora, Panamera, Rodeo, Sifra, Voyager, UNICA, Konjo, Carolus, Zafira, Milva, Connect, Sarpo Mira and Mayan Gold.


However, despite the release of the new varieties, many farmers in 13 major potato producing counties of Nyandarua, Nakuru, Meru, Nyeri, Kiambu, Taita Taveta, Narok, Bomet Elgeyo Marakwet, Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot still lack clean planting materials.
“Only one per cent of potato seeds used by farmers are certified and from the narrow variety range of Shangi, Tigoni, Asante, and Dutch Robjin,” said Dr Komen.


Some of the new varieties meet the international standards.
“Therefore, you can grow potatoes for the international hotel chains, some which import the produce but a farmer must first abide by the traceability requirement,” he said.
This involves a farmer revealing where they bought their seeds, who inspected the crop, was the soil test done to evaluate the diseases, how much fertiliser they used and whether they harvested at the right time.


To meet the traceability requirement, Dr Moses Nyongesa from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Karlo), said farmers must grow seeds certified by Kephis.
“Certified seeds have certification mark since quality accounts for nearly 90 per cent of the production,” said Dr Nyongesa, who is the acting director Potato Research Centre at Tigoni.


The practice of growing potatoes for the “general market” is old-fashioned, said Komen.
“Grow crops with a target market in mind. If it is for crisp making, grow that variety and sell to the factory. One makes more money this way.”
Once one knows the potato variety to grow for a specific market, the next critical component that farmers need to stick to is good land preparation.
“The land should be ready for planting at the onset of rains so that mature tubers are harvested during the dry period to minimise losses. This also reduces risk of diseases, which rises due to the rains,” explained Dr Nyongesa, noting the seeds should be planted with DAP fertiliser at a spacing of two and half feet between rows and 8-10 inches from one plant to another.


The fertiliser should be placed in the furrows before planting. A farmer should check before planting to ensure there is uniformity along the furrows and since smallholder farmers do it manually, if one notices excess fertiliser, it is advisable to scoop it, the expert advises.
“Excessive use of fertiliser always leads to overgrown tubers that will be rejected at the market,” he cautions.


The first weeding is done 10 days after the seeds sprout. This weeding is important as it enables the roots get good spacing in the soil. Then it is followed by top-dressing with CAN and after another seven days, the second weeding and moulding of the soil is done. It is also advisable to apply pesticides to kill pests and spray fungicides to curb wilting. Harvesting should start after about three months and farmers are cautioned against picking a crop when it is not ready as this affects the dry matter and sugar content.


“The tubers should be left in the ground for at least 14 days to thicken their skins and harden the starch before harvesting. This also improves the sugar level and smoothness,” said Dr Nyongesa.


If growing for the international market, farmers should watch pesticide use to attain the required minimum residue level.
Any modern farmer, according to Dr Nyongesa, should not ignore soil testing.
“The crop is often attacked by bacterial wilt and the potato nematode. It is, therefore, mandatory for the farmer to make sure their soils are tested,” said Dr Nyongesa.
At the same time, record-keeping during the growing period is crucial and should start by the time the land is prepared and evaluated.
“Records should capture all the undertakings, that is, when the farmer started the land preparation, chemical they used, weeding, harvesting and storage method.”


Farmers, especially those growing for the international market, Dr Komen said, must give a record of their employees and whether they pay the statutory deductions including on the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and National Social Security Fund (NSSF) as required by the law. This is also part of the Good Agricultural Practices needed in the international market.
“The international market has strict benchmarks and research in The Netherlands shows that a worker whose social interest is taken care of will replicate the same in his work by taking care of the crop well,” said Dr Komen.


According to the experts, mechanised farming is the sure way to overcome post-harvest losses and saves time and money.
One does not need to buy a tractor but they can hire, for instance from the county governments. The machine is fitted with different equipment to suit all stages of potato production from tilling to harvesting.


It ploughs, plants, applies fertiliser and harvests, making work much easier.


Besides, the equipment does not cut potatoes during harvesting minimising losses


Farmers pointed out that lack of cold storage facilities, unavailability of cooperative societies, bad roads, bacterial wilt disease and poor market as challenges they grapple with.

middlemen as among issues affecting them.
“The government should remove tax on chemicals used on spraying potatoes as they are beyond the reach of ordinary farmers,” said Simon Chumba another potato farmer in Kuresoi North, Nakuru County.