The National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK) has been working with small-scale farmers through a digital platform to facilitate access to critical services needed to spur production and better returns.
NPCK, through the Viazi Soko digital platform, has offered potato farmers from Naivasha, Nakuru and Nyandarua counties a forum through which they can access quality seed, farm inputs and fair markets for their produce by clicking on their mobile phones.
The Council has embarked on an intensive training of the farmers on how to operate and access the services under the digital agriculture platform to increase their production and get ready to market their surplus produce.
With the new concept, gone will be the days when farmers struggled to know the demand and supply curve that dictated the market prices in real time to make informed choices on where to sell to reap reasonable profit margins.
Thanks to the Viazi Soko digital platform that has enabled peasant farmers to have access to game-changing information from the comfort of their homes via a click of a button.
The burden that weighed on desperate farmers has considerately eased and they are now smiling all the way to the bank with reduced waste from post-harvest losses and better prices.
Farmers are able to query and access marketing services through their mobile phones in real time, unlike in the past when their fate was sealed and confined to limited marketing outlets.
Collins Rotich Kibet from Elburgon, Marioshoni Ward in Njoro, confirmed that the introduction of digital marketing platforms has contributed to an increase in production by a huge margin and increased his earnings tenfold.
Kibet, who is the Secretary of Yator Cooperative Society, which has 147 member farmers, says that the Viazi Soko app has assisted the potato farmers in ordering seeds every season, which are delivered to them in a timely manner and that since it started, they are able to order between 300 and 400 bags of certified seeds from various companies on the platform.
“This platform has enabled our group to move together as we meet to share and discuss among ourselves on when to plant, what varieties and what is in demand and this has ensured not one of us is left behind on potato production,” he explained.
Kibet said that the platform, which was introduced to them three years ago, has seen many farmers on board and adapt to the use of certified seed to increase their production, unlike before when most farmers were using recycled seeds due to their inability to access better seeds.
“We are selling our potatoes and fetching good money because we are planting certified seeds that have increased production. We have moved from 20 bags and harvested 100 bags in one acre,” he said.
Kibet thanked the NPCK for the various advisory and feedback, especially since the app can be found not only on smart phones but also the “mulika mwizi” via USSD service, thus every other farmer can access it.
Viazi soko and another run by the private sector AgriBora platforms have been supported by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) through strengthening agricultural knowledge and the innovation ecosystem for inclusive rural transformation and livelihoods in Eastern Africa (AIRTEA) Project that started 5 years ago and is geared to benefit hundreds of potato farmers.
Speaking to KNA during an onboarding exercise for farmers on the platform in Elburgon, Njoro, NPCK CEO Wachira Kaguongo said that through the platform, they are registering farmers and helping them on how to book and order inputs as well as sell through the digital platform.
“It is growing and we expect big changes very soon. We intend to register over 400,000 farmers in the next three years,” he said.
Kaguongo confirmed that most farmers do not want to acknowledge, especially new varieties of potatoes that are upcoming, saying they currently have over 62 varieties but those that are accepted are very few.
He added that as a council they are trying to showcase and train on the many other varieties in the market, including showcasing what other farmers have planted and achieved in monetary value in order to onboard others to venture into other varieties too
Seed, he acknowledged, has been a challenge to farmers who have sometimes ended up using fake seeds and even missing out on seeds altogether due to shortage.
“The importance of using certified seed is key and in order to satisfy the market, we have varieties that are tolerant to drought and early maturing, thus trying to get more farmers into seed production and this is an opportunity for many and we are actually advertising for more investors to come, enter seed production and we will support them,” Kaguongo said.
He further said that the industry has started organizing farmers and also partnering with the processors and investors who are now preparing and have put in infrastructure to allow cold chains that are assisting more people process varieties of potatoes.
The CEO added that through the National Fruit Council, they have started developing standards and traceability, which are key for these market outlets and added that although the franchises are flexible and relaxed a bit to allow the local production to supply them, NPCK has promised to improve the quality and the standard as required within the shortest time possible.
This digital platform that we are onboarding farmers will be able to provide an efficient way to address and minimize the problem of post-harvest losses and we are involving the village-based advisers in the training so that they also train farmers whom they will work with closely,” Kaguongo noted.
Henry Chemjor from the Viazi Soko platform said that the platform that was launched in February 2021 currently has 119,021 registered farmers and that 4,737 smallholder farmers have also accessed certified potato seeds worth Sh112 million (USD 862,538) through the platform.
He was speaking during a field day where farmers visited a potato demonstration farm at Mauche, Molo in Nakuru, to learn about the good agronomic practices of potatoes and the importance of the digital platform.
Nakuru County is currently the highest producer of potatoes, and according to the NPCK CEO, this year’s International Potato Day, which is normally commemorated in May, will be held in Nakuru County.
Potato is the second most important food and cash crop in Kenya, has been identified for contributing to food security, employment and economic growth, and is grown by over 1 million smallholder farmers owning about 0.25 to 5 hectares with a production of between 2 to 3 million metric tonnes per year.
By Wangari Ndirangu
