Impending chips crisis as Potato farmers count losses.
An impending chips crisis as potato farmers complain of poor yields to the rapidly changing climate patterns.
Speaking on monday, Residents from Molo Sub-County, which accounts for 40 per cent of Nakuru’s entire production, stated that they had recorded a sharp drop from its 2,500,000 tonnes.
The farmers stated,”Many cannot cope with the untimely change of the climate. Some are giving up farming altogether. In previous years I would harvest 12 tonnes of potatoes from this ten-acre farm but this has dwindled to 5 tonnes which is very low. This means I now spend more on sustaining my family.”
“Gone are days when I could predict the onset of rains. The weather has become more unpredictable in recent years because of the changing climate. For example, we may have heavy rains this year and face drought the following year. This makes it difficult for farmers to plan for land preparation and planting and thus affecting harvests,” they added.
Their decries come amidst, construction of an ultra-modern storage facility in Muchorwe, Molo Constituency, valued at Ksh117 million, by the government.
The government did this in an attempt to curb middlemen from the trade by constructing the cooling facility which would ensure that the farmers have better livelihoods.
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