This archive report was first published on 6 January 2022.
January 6, 2022, marked a day when the National Potato Council of Kenya (NPC) shed light on the challenges faced by local farmers in supplying multinational fast food chains with potatoes.
The NPC blames the informal nature of the potato value chain for the difficulties encountered by farmers in contracting with local suppliers to meet the demand for the Makies potato seed variety.
According to NPC CEO Wachira Kaguongo, previous talks with fast food franchises to secure contracts for local farmers have been unsuccessful, despite the availability of the Makies potato seed variety in Kenya.
Fast food chains have been accused of sourcing potatoes from outside the country, leaving local farmers struggling to meet the demand for the Makies variety.