Seed solutions – International Potato Center

“A decade ago, there were just a few certified seed potato producers in Kenya, but now there are 28, plus out growers who multiply seed on behalf of registered producers,” says Wachira Kaguongo, CEO of the National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK), which promotes the use of commercial seed among farmers.

“Many farmers don’t buy certified seed because of the price and transaction costs, but interventions to decentralize production and distribution, such as NPCK’s ViaziSoko farmers’ app, are increasing its availability, while farmer awareness of its value is growing,” Karuongo explains.

Stella Mukiri, who farms one acre in Meru County, began growing potato to increase her income after her husband died. She first planted locally purchased potatoes but harvested only 750 kg. The next year, she purchased apical cuttings and grew her own seed potatoes, which produced 1,500 kg.

“My income from potatoes has allowed me to pay my child’s school fees, build a shed for my cows, and tile the floor of my home,” Mukiri says.

Reaping nutrition

Sweetpotato has the same seed challenges as potato, so CIP has made comparable efforts to increase production and use of quality sweetpotato planting material. This included providing technical support to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) to create a financially sustainable enterprise that produces virus-free starting material. In 2021, KEPHIS sold more than 70,000 vine cuttings to dozens of seed producers and organizations that used them to grow vines to sell or give cuttings to farmers. At the same time, CIP and county governments helped vine multipliers grow and distribute more than 3.4 million quality vine cuttings to families with young children, enabling them to grow pro-vitamin-A orange-fleshed sweetpotato.

Makei Mamo, a beneficiary in Isiolo County, grows sweetpotatoes and vines with members of a women’s group. They produce enough to feed their families and sell surplus sweetpotatoes and vines.

“Sweetpotato is improving our children’s nutrition,” Mamo says. “Due to demand, we will be expanding our vine multiplication to produce enough for the community and ourselves.”

As more farmers plant quality sweetpotato vines or seed potatoes, they too will reap better harvests and income improvements.