KFC imports potatoes from Egypt. The restaurant says the country observes set standards that improve the potato quality, something the Kenyan farmers don’t do.
Local producers will start supplying American fast-food restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) with potatoes by end of this year.
The Nyandarua County Government and KFC held talks to find ways through which KFC can work with farmers through cooperatives or organised youth groups to buy local potatoes. Governor Francis Kimemia and KFC chief executive Jacques Theunissen agreed on a framework to benefit farmers. This will be in strict compliance with the internationally set standards that will see the franchise maintain its quality while farmers in Nyandarua improve on their farming and storage practices.
KFC imports potatoes from Egypt. The restaurant says the country observes set standards that improve the potato quality, something the Kenyan farmers don’t do. A recent statement by the franchise that it had run out of chips elicited sharp reactions from stakeholders in the potato value chain. Some termed it as insensitive to Kenyan farmers who were struggling to find a market for their produce. The County Government and KFC will establish a joint technical committee to address issues, with the next engagement expected next Wednesday.
After the meeting, KFC committed to facilitating a meeting between potential processors and Nyandarua farmers to attain the required standards. The two parties agreed to link local farmers with seed multiplication and high-quality potatoes production, not just for KFC but other diverse markets. About 80 per cent of products from KFC in Kenya are locally sourced. They include chicken, buns and vegetables.
Nyandarua potato farmers have welcomed the talks between the county government and KFC. Nyandarua Potato Farmers Association chairperson Wilfred Kimaru termed the move as the way forward for farmers to reap big. He regretted that potatoes have been rotting in the farms due to lack of market.
The Nyandarua governor said the county will also set up high-quality processors through co-operatives. Theunissen said the retail chain supports the employment of local people, especially the youth, who form the largest segment of its workforce. Governor Kimemia added: “Through the potato tissue culture project, it will be possible to rapidly multiply any seed variety required by the market. We are using the latest technology to produce quality seeds at our Oljororok seed multiplication unit.”
He noted the old storage plant at Olkalou is almost complete, adding that farmers will be assisted with seed for processing variety during the coming long rain season in the hope that the produce will be in the market by June. The governor added that his administration is in the process of assisting food processors in the county through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to expand facilities. In addition, KFC said it was exploring the possibility of sourcing cheese from dairy players in Nyandarua.
New plan to ensure potato farmers eat slice of KFC cash
Kentucky Fried Chicken, better known as KFC, has now identified farmers to grow the potato variety that they want, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has said. Munya said the Ministry has already come up with a plan on how to grow those particular varieties that KFC requires. This has been made possible thanks to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) who are supporting them to start growing more varieties and ensure they have those that please the palate of those interested in KFC type of chips or french fries.
Munya was speaking during the Fourth Intergovernmental Forum on Agriculture Agriculture in Nairobi on Thursday. According to Munya, the Ministry of Agriculture has agreed to work together with KFC and have identified the people they want to work with to start rolling out the particular variety they require as well as relevant partners.
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“It is also important for people to know that potatoes that are made into chips is only five per cent. The rest are eaten in other ways. But because, of course, of the kind of social status of the people who eat that particular one, it attracted a lot of interest to show that we are in a crisis in the potato sub-sector,” said Munya. Last week, Wachira Kaguongo, chief executive at National Potato Council, said they agreed in a meeting to have farmers plant the Markies variety to cut overreliance on imports.
Supporting farmers
Munya noted that the real crisis in the potato sub-sector is supporting farmers to grow and deal with post-harvest losses and ensuring they reach the market. “The post-harvest losses are where the middlemen come to exploit them,” said Munya. In early January, the KFC franchise in Kenya reported that it had ran out of potatoes, a contradiction in a country where smallholder farmers grow the crop in tonnes but cannot properly access the market.
The US fast food giant announced that after a busy festive season, Kenyan customers would be offered alternative food items like Ugali in place of french fries. KFC, which operates in Kenya through franchise Kuku Foods East Africa, imports potatoes mainly from Egypt for french fries, which are commonly known as “chips” in the East African nation. KFC, unlike local restaurants, only accepts potatoes that have been peeled, cut to the required and frozen size for processing as chips.
KFC’s predicaments in Kenya follow shortly after McDonald’s was forced to temporarily limit portion sizes for its french fries in Japan, citing disruption at the Port of Vancouver. The fast-food chain was forced to charter flights to deliver potatoes and resume normal operations. In Kenya, KFC said that delays in shipping due to the Covid-19 situation has resulted in a local potato shortage, and although potatoes are easily available in Kenya, the company said it cannot source locally while keeping to its strict quality standards.
