In Kenya, potato farmers are grappling with a pressing issue—lack of access to affordable, certified seeds. Despite potatoes being a significant cash crop for many small-scale farmers, the shortage of quality seeds has led to poor yields and limited income. The Kenya Seed and Variety Act, which prohibits the sale of uncertified seeds, has further complicated matters, leaving farmers with limited options and forcing them to use uncertified seeds of lower quality.
Sammy Rotich, a potato farmer from Kuresoi, Nakuru County, shared his frustrations with the current state of seed availability: “We plant potatoes as business and want good returns, but we have the challenge of certified seeds not being readily available to us. We are forced to buy uncertified seeds, whose quality is low.” The high cost of certified seeds has left small-scale farmers struggling, as many cannot afford the limited supply available in the market.
The problem does not only lie in the lack of certified seeds, but also in the high costs of essential farm inputs such as fungicides and fertilizers. These rising costs further strain the already tight budgets of potato farmers, reducing their profit margins. Joseph Rono, another farmer, highlighted the issue: “Fungicides and fertilizers have become expensive for farmers, who are also facing the shortage of certified seeds.”
To address the situation, the Kalro Potato Research Centre has introduced a promising solution—a new high-yielding potato variety that is both drought and disease-resistant. This new variety, currently in its final verification stage, has been developed using apical cutting, a tissue culture plantlet technology that allows for rapid multiplication of seed potatoes. According to Robert Musyoki, a director at Kalro, “Certified seeds play a crucial role in enhancing potato productivity. The new variety will address shortages and increase farmers’ yields.”
The new variety, provisionally named IG-70, is expected to significantly improve yields, with farmers potentially harvesting up to 120 bags per acre with proper management. The variety’s development was prompted by farmers’ requests for high-yielding, drought-resistant seeds, addressing the pressing issue of supply shortages. However, farmers are concerned about the cost—KES 4,250 (USD 31) per 50kg bag—which they feel may still be too high. “We hope the government can review the prices to make them affordable for the small-scale farmers,” said Moses Nyongesa, the director at Kalro.
The new variety also aims to reduce farmers’ dependency on chemicals, thus lowering the cost of production and potentially increasing their earnings. As the director of the research center explained, “We are yet to name the new variety because it’s still in the process of production, but we are calling it the IG-70. This is a very good variety that will help farmers get more proceeds.”
This new initiative by Kalro is an important step in addressing the certified seed shortage, but it is clear that further support is needed from both the government and other stakeholders. The lack of certified seeds has created a significant imbalance in the supply-demand chain for potatoes in Kenya, leading to exploitation of farmers and reduced productivity. The solution lies not only in developing better varieties but also in ensuring that these varieties are accessible and affordable to those who need them most.
The potato farming sector in Kenya is at a crossroads. The shortage of certified seeds, coupled with rising input costs, has left many farmers struggling to achieve the yields needed for a sustainable livelihood. While the introduction of the IG-70 potato variety offers a promising solution, there is a clear need for government intervention to make certified seeds more affordable and accessible. Training programs for farmers, better seed distribution networks, and price regulation could go a long way in alleviating the challenges faced by Kenyan potato farmers.
