Potato farming is a profitable venture in Kenya as the demand for Kenya’s staple is ever-high.
The National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK) says that potato is the second most consumed crop in Kenya after maize and contributes about Sh50 billion to the economy annually.
The tuber is grown in various parts of the country including Nyandarua, Nyeri, Nandi, Laikipia, and Meru counties.
There are various potato varieties in Kenya, but the most common are the Shangi potato and the Kenya Karibu potato, owing to their superior characteristics that make them attractive to farmers looking to earn more on low production costs.
The Shangi potato variety is unique with a cream-white flesh and shallow to medium-pink eyes. This variety is early maturing and can be harvested in about 75 days after planting.
Shangi is famous for its minimal dormancy because farmers can replant it within three weeks. There is no other potato variety with such flexibility.
In addition, it is susceptible to pests and diseases, and its market demand is high.
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Another potato variety gaining popularity among farmers is the Kenya Karibu variety. This variety grows tall, slightly above 1 metre in height, with strong stems and dark green, narrow, pointed leaves.
Flowers a lot, and the flowers are pink in color. It matures for three to four months, has smooth red skin, and is disease-resistant. It’s good for chipping, crisping, boiling, and mashing.
Other potato varieties most preferred by farmers due to their excellent performance are:
Unica
This potato variety is known for its early maturity rate of fewer than 3 months. It has oblong tubers with red skin, shallow eyes, and creamy skin.
In addition, Unica is moderately resistant to late blight and highly resistant to potato leafroll virus and potato virus X. It can be used for chips, crisps, and as a table variety with high vitamin C, iron, and Zinc.
Sherehekea
Sherehekea, characterized by round tubers, smooth red skin with deep eyes, and cream flesh, grows in areas such as Kwale , Kericho ,Nandi , Nyandarua, Kiambu, Nyeri, Laikipia, and Meru.
It takes 3-4 months to mature. On the farm, it grows to a height of slightly one meter with small dark green leaves and strong stems and produces light purple flowers.
It has a long seed dormancy of 4-5 months and is resistant to late blight and potato virus Y. It is also one of the high-yielding varieties.
Kenya Mpya
Kenya Mpya has an oval shape and smooth cream skin with creamy flesh. It does well in most potato-growing regions. It has a medium maturity of 3-4 months.
Unlike other varieties, Kenya Mpya rarely flowers, and when it does, it produces white flowers.
It is resistant to late blight with a tuber dormancy of 3 months. Kenya Mpya has a medium yield and is mainly best in making fries.