Kenyans could be staring at a shortage of French fries commonly known as chips after farmers from Nakuru County, which is one of the country's top potato producers, decried poor yields.
Speaking to the press on Monday, March 13, some of the farmers attributed the poor yields to the rapidly changing climate patterns.
They argued that Molo Sub-County, which accounts for 40 per cent of Nakuru's entire production, had recorded a sharp drop from its 2,500,000 tonnes.
One farmer identified as Priscillah Mugure confirmed that her annual production had halved from 12 tonnes to 5 tonnes.
“Many cannot cope with the untimely change of the climate. Some are giving up farming altogether. In previous years I would harvest 12 tonnes of potatoes from this ten-acre farm but this has dwindled to 5 tonnes which is very low. This means I now spend more on sustaining my family.
“Gone are days when I could predict the onset of rains. The weather has become more unpredictable in recent years because of the changing climate. For example, we may have heavy rains this year and face drought the following year. This makes it difficult for farmers to plan for land preparation and planting and thus affecting harvests,” the farmer told KNA.
The poor yields came even as the government races against time to construct an ultra-modern storage facility in Muchorwe, Molo Constituency, valued at Ksh117 million.
The state seeks to rid middlemen from the trade by constructing the cooling facility which would in turn accord the farmers better livelihoods.
Separately, a new potato farmers consortium was formed in Kenya to boost farmers' access to both inputs and market.
The consortium will be instrumental in according farmers access to quality seeds, bank funds as well as agrochemicals and fertilisers.
The consortium, which will be rolled out in a period of two years, is aimed at improving the annual yields from 7 tonnes per acre to 14 tonnes per acre.
Kenya had previously suffered a potato shortage in January 2023 with the most affected being Gakoromone market in Meru. The shortage in turn spiked french fries prices.
