NYANDARUA COUNTY.

Location

Nyandarua County is found in the former central province, population of 638,289 and an area of 3,304 km². It borders Nyeri to the East, Laikipia to the North, Nakuru to the West, Murang’a to the South East and Kiambu to the South. It has five Sub-Counties namely: Ol’Kalou, Kinangop, Kipipiri, Ndaragwa and Ol’Joro Orok   are further sub-divided into twenty five wards. It boasts of rich and fertile soils and good ecological conditions as it is surrounded by the Aberdare Ranges thus crop production is favourable all year round.

Potato Production

Agricultural activity is extensively carried out in the county with potatoes being the leading crop covering over 37,000 hectares annually. The County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2018-2022 which has been aligned to vision 2030 and the Big 4 Agenda identifies potatoes as an important crop and lays down strategic interventions to grow the sector further. The County has also developed County potato strategy to coordinate potato subsector activities and guide interventions.   

There are about 70,000 small holder potato farmers who produce potato worth over 8 Billion annually. The main challenges include lack of structured potato market, low availability and use of high quality seed potato and poor agronomic practices

Potato Projects in the County

  1. Project Name: Nutrition-sensitive Potato Partnership Project (NuSePPP)

Funding Partner: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Objective: To increase potato yields and improvement of the nutritional situation of malnourished people in the county

Duration: 2016-2023

Implementers

  • GIZ
  • CIP
  • Npck
  • Kalro
  • County Department of Agriculture and Health
  1. Project Name: IPM –A PPP Project with an Irish Seed Producing Company and a Kenyan Food processor to increase use of certified seed and link farmers to market (started 01/2018).

Objective: Incomes for small-scale farmers through professionalization of potato farming are improved.

Duration: 2018-2019

Implementers

  • GIZ
  • Kevian
  • NPCK
  • County Department Agriculture
  1. Project Name: Sereni Fries -PPP Project on Linking young farmers to market and youth employment with Kenyan potato processor (started 01/2019)

Objective : Create employment by building the capacity/capabilities of young people along the potato value chain

Duration: 2019-2020

Implementing partners

  • GIZ
  • Sereni Fries
  • County Department Agriculture
  1. Project Name: Potato Value Chain Capacity Building Project

Objective

The objective of PCB project and on-farm demonstration sites is:

  1. To describe on-site techniques and improved agriculture required in the potato production chain
  2. To offer a learning platform for potato farmers around Nyandarua county
  3. To access different variety performance
  4. Offer platform for farmers to network with other service providers along potato production and supply value chain
  5. To link trained farmers to markets
  6. To link farmers with financial institutions to ease input financing

Duration: 2018-2022

Implementer

  • IFDC

 

  1. Project Name: Kenya Market-led Horticulture Programme –HortIMPACT

Funding Partner: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Duration: 2015 – 2019

Objectives

  • Inclusion of SME farmers in domestic and export markets
  • Improve food safety
  • Reduction of food losses
  • Training farmers on best practice on potato production including promotin
  • Dutch seed potato varieties
  • Linking farmers to markets
  • Feasibility study on commercial potato storage
  • Promoting mechanization of potato production

Implementers

  • SNV

 

  1. Project Name: Kenya Potato Sub-sector Transformation Initiative

Funding Partner: AGRA

Duration: October 2017 to April 2019

Objectives

  • Increased potato productivity for farmers
  • Strengthened and expanded potato output markets for farmers

Implementing partners

  • NPCK

NPCK Activities with County

County Potato Strategy- implementation that is coordinated by County Potato Coordinating Unit

Potato Liaison officer custodian of all approved chemicals to be used and potato training manuals

NPCK also is part of Regulation implementation committee