This archive report was first published on 23 August 2021.
Kenya's Agriculture Ministry has urged counties to enforce regulations controlling potato sales, citing exploitation of farmers by middlemen.
According to Prof. Hamadi Boga, the Agriculture Ministry's Secretary, the regulations were introduced to protect farmers from exploitation by middlemen.
Prof. Boga noted that for a long time, potato farmers in Kenya have been exploited by middlemen through excessive sales.
The regulations, which require farmers to sell potatoes in bags or sacks not exceeding 50 kilograms, were published in the Government Gazette in December 2019 and were set to take effect in early 2020.
“I urge counties that produce potatoes and have not yet enforced the regulations to do so,” Prof. Boga advised, speaking to journalists in Nairobi during a meeting with stakeholders in the potato sector.
“The regulations were introduced to revive the farmer who has been exploited for a long time through excessive sales,” he explained.
Counties of Nakuru and Nyandarua have already enforced the regulations, with unscrupulous traders facing the wrath of the law.
Prof. Boga also noted that farmers who bear the cost of producing potatoes will benefit if all stakeholders work together to ensure they are not exploited in the market.
“To counties that have enforced the regulations, I commend you and urge you to continue doing so,” Prof. Boga said.
