The County Potato Strategy (CPS) is a key policy document that guides the development of the potato subsector at the county level. It aligns with the National Potato Strategy, Kenya Vision 2030, BETA agenda, and the County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs). The CPS also incorporates the contributions of subsector players and development partners to enhance the performance and growth of the potato industry within the specific county.
Kenya developed its first National Potato Strategy (NPS) covering 2016-2020, followed by the second strategy for 2021-2025. The NPS aims to address challenges along the potato value chain by harmonizing the activities of different players and maximizing synergies at both county and national levels. Its overall goal is to transform the potato industry into a commercially oriented enterprise that contributes to sustainable food and nutrition security. The strategy outlines sector strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and proposes clear mechanisms and practical solutions for building a vibrant, innovative, and competitive potato industry. It also serves as a guide for counties to develop their own tailored potato strategies, ensuring alignment and coordinated implementation across the country.
Developing county-specific CPS documents, whose implementation occurs at the county level, is important for enhancing the adoption of the National Potato Strategy. It ensures that the contributions of subsector actors and development partners are harmonized to improve and transform the potato industry through better coordination and targeted interventions.
NPCK supported Laikipia County to develop its Potato Value Chain Development Strategy 2025-2030, aligned to key national frameworks including the National Potato Strategy (NPS) 2021-2025, the Roots and Tubers Strategy (2019-2022), the National Food and Nutrition Policy, and the Crops (Irish Potato) Regulations, 2019. The strategy focuses on three main objectives:
- Increasing potato production and productivity by 30% by 2030,
- Expanding access to structured and profitable output markets, and
- Enhancing the adoption and implementation of the potato regulations and related policies.
The strategy clearly outlines priority investment areas that the Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP), NPCK and other development partners should support to achieve these objectives and transform the potato value chain in Laikipia County for the next 5 years.
Participants during the agricultural value chain strategies development
