Potato Review
52 POTATO REVIEW MAY/JUNE 2023 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Add potatoes to support crops plea POTATOES should be listed in Kenya’s list of products getting financial support from the federal government, according to governors from 10 of Central Kenya’s counties. The Governors, via the Central Economic Region Block (CEREB), have announced plans to engage the state so that the crop can be added to the list. The block contributes more than 28% to the national GDP. Agriculture is Kenya’s main economic activity and the government recently identified nine value chains including leather, livestock, tea, rice, edible oils, textile, construction, mining and blue economy that will be prioritised for financing. According to Nyeri governor and Chair of the block Mutahi Kahiga, failure by the government to list the main crops from the region could aect growers and traders. He identified potato as one of those missing crops, along with coee, avocado, pyrethrum, macadamia, bananas, maize and wheat. Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njoki said there was little support from the national government for agriculture, stating that more support from the relevant authorities could push higher production. He accused the budget controller and auditor general of failing to support the block in its economic engagement. “We are keen on value addition for our key products which seems to have been forgotten by the government in its plans to support farming in the country,” he said. Memorandum signed THE Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) and Potatoes SA recently signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Potatoes are the most common staple food consumed by most people in South Africa to prepare various meals. This sector employs an average of 55 000 people. The country’s leading producing regions of potatoes are Limpopo, Free State, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape. According to the Head of the WCDoA, Dr Mogale Sebopetsa, the MOU commits both parties to grow this potato industry to advance economic growth and increase employment opportunities. “The MOU undertakes to build capacity, facilitate access to markets, and oer skills development programmes to enable mentorship to land reform beneficiaries within the potato sector.” Willie Jacobs, CEO of Potato SA, said it was a significant step forward for the industry. He said: “The potato industry is estimated to contribute at least R6.6 billion to South Africa’s economy and contributes 30-50% of the fresh produce turnover in the country.” Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, said that WCDoA’s Commodity Approach was central to the MOU between the department and the potato industry. “The WCDoA’s commodity approach is a strategy for farmer support across the agricultural value chains. This partnership with commodity organisations such as Potato SA strengthens the help rendered to land reform farmers. “Successful land reform happens when farmers can access natural resources, skills, mentorship, technology, and markets and make money.” Good news for Kenyan growers GROWERS in Nyandarua county in Kenya will benefit from the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by a consortium supporting the local potato supply chain. Seed supplier AgricoPSA has welcomed the recent signing of the document, saying it is an important milestone in establishing a nationwide sustainable potato value chain. It will also help more Nyandaruan potato growers to benefit from a market opportunity created by KFC’s decision to procure its chips in Kenya. Last year, KFC announced that it would look to Kenyan farmers to supply its fast- food chain with potatoes for chips, providing they met with its food safety processing standards and used the prescribed potato variety Markies. This led to the consortium being formed. It is made up of the Co-operative Bank of Kenya, AgricoPSA, Yara, Bayer East Africa and Simplifine. “By entering the consortium, potato farmers acquire access to aordable and high quality inputs, to finance and to sustainable markets,” an announcement on the AgricoPSA’s website states.
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