County potato strategy (CPS) is a policy document that is normally aligned with the National Potato Strategy. It factors in the contributions of potato industry players and development partners towards improving and transforming the potato Industry at County Level. The strategy is usually informed by the aspirations of the county government and aligns with the Agricultural Sector and Transformation Growth Strategy (ASTGS) hence outlining the county’s potential towards ensuring food security alongside factoring in the opportunities and challenges in the county and is informed by players and development partners operating in the County to ensure potato activities are well coordinated and harmonized enabling transformation within the county. NPCK has helped various counties develop and implement County Potato Strategies. All potato-producing counties are expected to develop and own county potato strategies because agriculture in Kenya is a devolved function of the county government. Currently, NPCK in collaboration with Meru County, and other stakeholders are in the process of developing Meru County Potato Strategy. This is a document that will act as a tool and provide guidelines for the implementation and actualization of potato policies in Meru County.
One of the requirements during the development process of a county potato strategy is that a technical committee be formed to oversee the entire process and also help in review and compiling stakeholder inputs so as to have a fully and exhaustive strategy document. On 13th and 14th July 2023, at Mid-town Hotel, a technical committee was formed comprising of NPCK, County Government representative from the department of Agriculture, Farmer Representative, Ministry of cooperative, CIPAD, KENAFF, and Solidaridad to spearhead development of the Strategy.
As a follow-up, on 29th August 2023, NPCK in partnership with KONRAD, Soridaridad, CIPAD, KENAFF and Meru County Government held Potato Stakeholders Consultative Workshop at Three Steers Hotel, Meru. The objective of the workshop was to engage experts in the value chain and incorporate their inputs during the development of the Strategy. In attendance were representatives from; Meru potato Union, farmers cooperatives, Agrico PSA, Kisima Farm, Kirinyaga Seeds Ltd, MSEA, FreshCropLtd, CGA, FtMA, Siraji Sacco, Corteva AgriScience, FIBS Africa, Sereni Fries, KEPHIS Timau, Bayer CropScience, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Cooperative, among others.
Participants during the technical committee meeting
