Nakuru’s Wakulima open air market. The market profiling exercise established that the predominant potato varieties traded in the region are Shangi, Dutch Robijn, Desiree and Sherekea.

Potato industry still faces major challenges such as inadequate market information, unstructured market system, unstandardized potato packaging, inefficient grading and sorting by farmers among other challenges. Direct market linkage between farmers and market outlets is widely viewed as part of the solution to solving the aforementioned challenges.

NPCK, through the support of the seed potato CARP+ project embarked on rapid appraisal profiling available market outlets for ware potato in Nakuru County in the month of March, 2019. The purpose of the market profiling is to support farmer groups with direct market linkage. The exercise also helps NPCK to better understand the demand for ware potato and aggregate data that can inform policy formulation, lobby and advocacy issues.

The exercise established that the predominant potato varieties traded in the region are Shangi, Dutch Robijn, Desiree and Sherekea. Among the varieties, Shangi is the most prevailing variety in the market and is used in the preparation of stews, Chips, mashing, crisping. NPCK was able to profile 34 potato off-takers such as fast food restaurants, hotels, open air potato traders and supermarkets.