Most farmers in Kenya practice farming businesses to make money. Sweet potatoes are mostly sold directly to consumers in the local markets. But are potatoes exported? This article gives information on the exportation of potatoes in Kenya.
Yes, Kenya exports potatoes to the European market and Arab countries such as Egypt, Spain, and Senegal. Exports are done all year round since sweet potato farming in Kenya is done all year round. On average, the export price of sweet potatoes in Kenya is Ksh. 200 per kilo.
6 Advantages of Commercial Sweet Potato Farming
Commercial sweet potato farming is an easy and profitable business. You can start this business with little capital but end up making good profits.
Commercial sweet potato farming has several advantages for farmers. The following are six advantages of commercial sweet potato farming:
1. Starting commercial or large-scale sweet potato farming is easy and simple.
2. Production costs in commercial sweet potato farming are lower compared to other crops.
3. Marketing sweet potatoes is easy since you can sell them to local markets.
4. It is highly profitable and it is a great way of making profits.
5. Commercial sweet potato farming is already an established business and many people are doing this business and making money.
6. Sweet potatoes are highly nutritious and good for human health.
How to Start Commercial Sweet Potato Farming
Starting a commercial sweet potato farm is easy. The following is a guide to starting commercial sweet potato farming:
Step 1: Select the Land
Select suitable land to plant sweet potatoes on, and it should be fertile, sandy or loamy soil with a good drainage system to allow for root development. Ensure the area receives abundant sunshine.
Step 2: Prepare the Land
Prepare the land before planting by ploughing to a fine tilth and removing all types of weeds in order to loosen the soil. Sweet potatoes do best in fertile sandy loam soil that is well drained. The temperature should be warm with a soil PH of 5.6 to 6.6.
Step 3: Choose Planting Materials
Select suitable certified planting material for sweet potatoes. The most commonly used materials are vine cuttings. The vines should be cut at about 30 cm from the growing point.
Step 4: Planting and Planting Methods
Planting of sweet potatoes is done during the onset of short rains or at the end of long rains in one season.
Sweet potato vines are planted using the ridge or mound method of planting.
Ridge Method of Planting
At the time of planting, ridges are dug 1 m apart and 10 to 15 cm from one ridge to another. For the ridge method, planting is done either in a single row or double row. In single row cutting, vines are planted in the middle of the ridge, 30cm between plants within the rows. The double rows are planted on opposite sides at 30cm between plants within the rows and 50 to 60cm between rows.
Mound Method of Planting
For the mound method, the vines are clustered or 3 to 4 vines are planted on a single stand at an equal distance. The normal size of mounds should have a base diameter of 30 to 45 cm, and the distance between the mounds should be 1 m apart.
The cuttings are planted at an angle with vine ends towards the centre of the ridge. Two thirds of the cuttings are buried in the soil at a depth of 4 to 6 cm.
Step 5: Application of Fertilizer
Apply organic manure to the land while preparing it. Also, you can apply chemical fertilizer to poor soils like CAN at a rate of 125 kg per acre.
Step 6: Weed Control
Weeds consume nutrients from the soil; therefore, apply Alachlor at a rate of two litres per acre before spout emergence. Weeding is done twice in the first two months, after which earthing up is carried out.
Step 7: Pest and Disease Control
Some of the common diseases that affects the sweet potatoes include the mosaic diseases that are caused by viruses. Before you start to plant sweet potatoes, you should select healthy and disease-free planting material. In addition, you should apply appropriate pesticides and insecticides to control pests and diseases.
The common pests that attack sweet potatoes include weevils that often affect the tubers. This can be controlled through practicing earthing up, crop rotation, and planting resistant potato varieties.
Step 8: Harvesting
Sweet potato crops mature and are ready for harvest 120 days (3-6 months) after planting, depending on the varieties. Harvesting is done when tubers mature and leaves turn yellow, and is done by digging tubers.
Harvesting can be done by piece meal by the use of sharpened sticks or metals. All the tubers can also be removed at once using appropriate methods.
On an acre of land, one can yield about 10 tonnes of sweet potatoes.
Step 9: Storage
You should provide proper storage after harvesting the sweet potatoes before taking them to the market for sale. Select only those potatoes that are not damaged (wounded) during harvesting for storage.
One method of storing sweet potatoes more so in the rural is by putting them in an underground hole and covering them with soil.
Where to Sell Sweet Potatoes
In Kenya, sweet potatoes are exported to various countries around the world. The following are two leading importers of sweet potatoes:
- Dir of Naval Logusaco, US Embassy.
- America.
5 Buyers of Sweet Potatoes in Kenya
Farmers in Kenya can sell their potatoes to sweet potato buyers at wholesale prices. The following are buyers of sweet potatoes in Kenya:
1. Agro Chemical and Food Company.
2. Chirag Africa Limited.
3. Bidco Africa Limited.
4. Sungold Kenya Limited.
5. Beta Healthcare International Limited.
Selina Wamucii Prime
Selina Wamucii is an agricultural company and social enterprise that markets produce from smallholder farmers by integrating with cooperatives, producers, organizations, agro processors, and small and medium enterprises that work directly with family farmers. Its headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya.
Selina Wamucii provides high quality sweet potatoes for both local and export market. They source the sweet potatoes locally from the farmers.
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