Sweet potato farmers start factory to avoid dealing with brokers

Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi during the launch of the project. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

Sweet potato growers in Meru County had for long suffered due to poor prices their produce fetched.

The farmers used to take their potatoes to local markets season after season but fetched almost nothing.

This dampened their spirits and almost pushed them to abandon the venture altogether. The vulgarities of weather also worsened their problems.

They live in the drier areas in northern Meru, where most crops failed due to unreliable rainfall. But now there is light at the end of the tunnel.

More than 1,000 sweet potato growers farmers in Nyambene came together and formed the Meru Friends Sacco, a processing factory in Maua town, Igembe South Sub County.

Forming a sacco has enabled the farmers to collectively produce thousands of kilos each harvest, which are processed at the factory.

The Sh40 million processor was made possible with support from National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) and the European Union.

With the factory, the farmers no longer struggle for a market.

Mbae Manene, the Chairman of the Sacco, says instead of hawking their potatoes at local markets at throwaway prices, now they deliver it at the factory. It is then processed into bread, cakes, crisps, flour and other products.

“We are now growing our potatoes and selling to ourselves...

“We are now assured of a ready market and good prices. We eliminated brokers who had for years oppressed us.”

Each farmer registered as a member with Sh500 and contributes Sh200 every month.

The factory launched by Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi has become a major supplier of loaves of bread, cakes, flour and other delicious products in the area.

The two donors -NDMA and the European Union-facilitated the training of farmers on how to run the factory and grow quality sweet potato. After farmers get quality seedling for planting Manene says it can be intercropped or planted on their own parcel of land.

The vines can be planted in the same space with miraa, peas, maize and other crops. They go for the varieties that have high dry matter such as the maris and jelly.

“They thrive in arid areas,” said Josphat Kirimi, a farmer.

The planting

“Potatoes should be planted in six inch holes with about 12 inches spaces. Organic manure is preferred as opposed to nitrogenous fertilisers,” Karimi says.

“Caution must be taken not to apply too much water. The sweet potatoes can withstand lengthy dry periods so there is no need to water them too much. Too much water encourages rotting,”  Manene says.

The delivery and handling of the potatoes to the factory to the point of processing products is an elaborate process.

Peter Ikiao, a worker at the factory, says the first step when the potatoes reach the factory is ‘thorough washing’.

“Next is peeling. Afterwards the potatoes are soaked in water containing sodium metabisulfite, a sanitisation and cleaning compound, or agent. It also ensures the colour of the potatoes is retained,” Ikiao said.

After washing, the potatoes are put in a chipper which cuts them into the desired pieces before they are dipped into a centrifuge to reduce the amount of water in them. The pieces are then laid in a tray and transferred into a drying machine.

With their own factory, their worry now is that they do not have enough quantities of potatoes to process and are even appealing to others to register as members.


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