Farmers receive training on how to produce potatoes for processors at the Ol Jorok Agriculture Training Center in central Kenya, March 3, 2017. |
Sitting on a
rickety bench at his home in Kipipiri, in central Kenya, Samuel Macharia
pulls a piece of paper from his pocket and proudly points to the
signature at the bottom.
"This paper means I get paid on time for my potatoes, even when the weather is bad," he said.
The precious
document is a farming contract Macharia signed in March with the East
African Potato Consortium. It says he will sell at least two tonnes of
potatoes to food processors each harvesting season for the next two
years.
"Thanks to this contract I can earn up to 22,000 Kenyan shillings ($213) per season," he said.
Recurring drought and sudden cold spells have affected the quality of potatoes and other staples across Kenya.
Peris Mukami, a
farmer from Timau village, in Meru County, said her potato yields had
declined by over 10 percent in the past two years because "it is either
too cold or too hot".
"The cold damages potato vines with frostbite while heat makes them wilt," she explained.
To try to fight
back, Kenyan potato farmers such as Macharia are increasingly turning to
production contracts with food processors - a system known as contract
farming - through the East African Potato Consortium.
By working with the
consortium, they get access to seeds that better stand up to harsher
conditions, as well as better fertilisers.
They also get a
guaranteed price for their crop, as long as they produce good-quality
potatoes on time, said Wachira Kaguongo, head of the National Potato
Council.
FAIR DEALS
The consortium,
which was set up in 2016 by the National Potato Council, the Alliance
for a Green Revolution in Africa and the Grow Africa partnership, aims
to increase private investment in agriculture by linking potato farmers
with food processors across the country, Kaguongo said.
Each production
agreement is reviewed and approved by the National Potato Council, which
ensures it is fair to both parties, said Willy Bett, cabinet secretary
of the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.
"Businessmen will
always want to get farmers to sign something that may not be favourable
to them," Bett told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "We're trying to
prevent that by ensuring that farming activity is done on a contract
basis in Kenya."
Contract farming
has allowed farmers to sell produce to food giants such as the fast-food
chain KFC, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Macharia's potatoes
now fetch 22 shillings ($0.20) per kilo, more than double what he used
to get when selling them at the Kipipiri open air market.
"I am paid in cash at my farm," he said. "And I do not have to travel to the market when I don't want to."
So far 5,000
farmers have signed up to the system, with a total of 23,000 expected to
have made the switch by 2020, said Kaguongo.
SUPPLY SHORTAGE?
Felix Matheri, a
researcher at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology,
said that while contract farming provides farmers with a steady income,
it risks depriving poor families of their food supply.
"Contracts bind
farmers to supplying an agreed amount of potatoes, meaning that when the
harvest is low farmers are forced to sell all their produce to meet
their obligations," he explained.
"But potatoes are rich in starch and a critical source of nutrients - farmers should save some for home consumption," he said.
Others have
concerns about contract farming as well. Louise Wangari, a roadside
seller of potatoes in Nyandarua County, said she is worried it might
affect the supply she gets from farmers.
"The quantity of potatoes I was getting from farmers was already decreasing due to extreme weather," she said.
"If they start
signing contracts with other buyers, then I may be out of business soon,
as I can't afford to pay them as much as the food processors."
ReplyDeleteHello,
If you want to go into farming business, There are so many company platform this days like http://www.virtatrade.com that will enable you as a beginner to raise the fund you need to start up your farming business without you seeking for a loan.
This company platform is where many business dealers from all over the world generate fund that backup their various businesses financially.
I used this company to backup my cocoa beans export business each time my business is running down.
You can visit and register with the company website here http://www.virtatrade.com to raise the fund you need now to go into your farming business now.