Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), a state cooperation which develop and promote scheduled crops value chains through effective regulation for economic growth has proposed new regulations meant to protect potato farmers from market exploitations by brokers and middlemen.
The new proposed regulations, Irish Potatoes Handling and Marketing Regulations will require the crop producers and dealers to pack Irish potatoes into a maximum weight of 50kg. This will save farmers who for so long have been forced to package their potatoes in 110kg bags for sale.
But Under the proposed new regulations, Irish potato producers and dealers will be required to pack Irish potatoes into a maximum weight of 50kg. This will come into effect on July 1st when a fine of up to Sh20,000 will be applied on those found to have flouted the packaging regulations.
“A person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (5) (6) (7) and (9) commits an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to a fine not exceeding Sh20,000, or both,” reads the regulations.
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In these regulations all processors, importers and exporters shall register with AFA, which shall issue certificate of registration.
Under the laws, any person who contravenes the regulations commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding Sh50,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, or both.
Potatoes are grown by more than 800,000 farmers, majority who are smallholders and produce 83 per cent of the national harvest.
Potato production has dropped from 2.1 million tonnes in 2013 to 1.5 million tonnes last year. However, during the same period, the price per 1kg increased from Sh52 in 2013 to Sh81 last year, according to the 2018 Economic Survey.
The Ministry of Agriculture and AFA have kick-started a public participation on the proposed regulations and the public has been invited to give views on the regulations before a national stakeholders forum in Nairobi on July 4.