This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
On June 22, a contractor will move to the site of a multi-million potato cold storage facility in Nyandarua County, marking the beginning of a project that is expected to reduce post-harvest losses and boost farmers' income.
According to Trade Chief Administrative Secretary Lawrence Karanja, all processes of tendering are complete, and the facility is set to be built on a three-acre piece of land in Ol Kalou town. The facility, which is one of three cold storage facilities planned by the national government, is expected to cost the government Sh100 million.
Once complete, the facility will enable farmers to store their potatoes for up to six months, allowing them to sell their harvest at a time when prices are favourable. The facility is designed to employ a temperature regulation system based on mechanical ventilation to ensure that the produce is safe from weather variables, pests, and rodents.
“The plant will also help cut out middlemen from the potato business who have exploited farmers for a very long time,” noted the CAS in Ol Kalou town. The facility is projected to serve over 1,000 farmers in Nyandarua County, which is among the largest producers of potatoes in Kenya with an estimated turnover of Sh5 billion a year.
President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the facility in January this year. The facility is part of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Enterprise Development's initiatives to ensure an all-year-round availability of needed food in the wake of climatic fluctuations in recent years.
