In the recent past, the release of new potato varieties has been expanding over time. Presently, we have over 67 different potato varieties released to the farmer and the market at large. However, the adoption has been very slow, as most of these varieties have not been taken up by the farmers and processors, who are usually the main target market. In this regard, there was a need to bring all the stakeholders on board so as to discuss and plan the best mechanism that will ensure better uptake of the different potato varieties.

On 16th August 2023, KEPHIS and key stakeholders held a potato workshop at KEPHIS HQ. The main objective was to deliberate on commercially significant attributes to be considered during the release of potato varieties to suit market needs. In attendance were Sereni Fries, Norda Industries, Tropical Heat, NPCK, CGA, MoALD, KALRO, CIP, ADC, STAK, Kisima Farm, FreshCrop, Agrico PSA, University of Eldoret, Syngenta Foundation, Kevian Kenya, and NPT committee members, among others.

A section of the workshop participants