TRADE AND MARKETING Dutch seed improves Kenyan potato chain The increasing consumption of potatoes among the over 30 million Kenyans is creating an active growth market. Around thirty years ago, Kenya closed its borders for seed from abroad. Today, not even two percent of Kenyan potatoes originate from certified seed potatoes. And yet, the potato is Kenya’s second biggest crop after maize. Since 2013, it has again been possible to export Dutch seed potatoes to Kenya. At the same time, an innovative seed potato project was started aimed at improving the Kenyan potato chain. During a trade mission of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, it transpired that collaboration with Kenyan partners provides the basis for enhancing food security. K enya is situated on the equator on Africa’s east coast. The climate is tropical along the Indian Ocean. In the higher interior, in a wide circle around the capital of Nairobi, the climate is pleasant where, also because of the fertile soil and two rainy seasons, the cultivation of potatoes has traditionally been one of the most important arable crops. The increasing consumption of potatoes among the over 30 million Kenyans has created an active growth market. Is the Dutch sector able to claim its share? It is difficult to estimate the number of possible farmers. Large (250) and medium-sized (10,000) farms can still be counted, but the small farms could perhaps number between 600,000 and two million. Registration is almost non-existent and the number of fields that are used for subsistence farming and perhaps a minimum of sales to neighbours makes it completely incalculable. According to the FAO (2012), the land used for the cultivation of potatoes is currently 143,000 hectares. A considerable acreage, but the cultivation methods are primitive. Farmers still use traditional methods unfamiliar as they are with basic knowledge and suitable crop rotation schemes. Bad soil cultiPotato World 2014 • number 3 15 Pagina 14
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