Proposed potato Bill to curb exploitation of farmers

By JAMES MUNYEKI

Nyandarua, Kenya: Plans are in top gear for a Bill to be presented in the Senate regulating the sale and processing of potatoes in the country.

The Bill, to be tabled by Nyandarua Senator Muriuki Karue once the Senate opens early February, aims at coming up with guidelines on produce marketing and processing in counties that grow the crop.

It aims to wipe out middle men who have for a very long time exploited farmers by buying the produce in extended bags. Among the measures it stipulates are that the produce should only be sold in 110 kilogramme bags which is contrary to an earlier recommendation that the produce be sold in 50 kilogramme bags.

The Bill seeks to give more strength to the Potato Act of 1999 which came into effect after Karue moved a Motion in Parliament then.

Already, members of agriculture committees from eight potato-growing counties have presented their input to the Senate agriculture committee ahead of the tabling.

According to the Chairman of the Agricultural Committee in the Nyandarua County Assembly Kimani Njiraini, this will bring to an end to farmers’ woes.

“We want a law that will bring to an end the problems that affect farmers in our county. One of these is the exploitation by middle men who buy the produce in extended bags and later convert them into 110 kilogramme bags,” he said.

He noted that the leaders had changed earlier calls to have the produce packaged in 50 kilogramme bags. “This would have given us logistical problems including the manufacturing of new packaging bags. We have all agreed that the produce would be packed in 110 kilogramme bags as it has been stipulated in the current law,” he said.

Njiraini said the potato producing counties were liaising with the counties where the produce is sold to ensure the law is followed. Among the markets are Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru.

Committee on Delegation and Legislation Chairman Wahome Kamoche said the leaders in the various counties would then come up with various Acts regulating marketing and branding.