• Potato farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet are raising concerns over low farm-gate prices and broker exploitation, calling for stronger cooperatives and direct market access.

Potato Farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet Demand Fair Prices as Broker Exploitation Hits Growers

Potato Farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet Demand Fair Prices as Broker Exploitation Hits Growers

Potato farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet County are raising concerns over low farm-gate prices and the growing influence of brokers in the potato market, calling for reforms to give producers better control over the sale of their harvests.

Despite investing in land preparation, certified seed, fertiliser, crop protection products, labour and harvesting, farmers say the returns from potato production do not always reflect the costs and effort involved.

The concerns have renewed discussions about weaknesses in Kenya’s potato marketing system, particularly the bargaining power of smallholder farmers who depend on middlemen to access buyers.

Farmers often sell their potatoes immediately after harvesting because they lack suitable storage facilities, organised marketing structures and reliable links to large buyers. This puts them at a disadvantage during periods when many producers bring their harvests to market at the same time.

The concerns in Elgeyo Marakwet have also brought attention to the need for stronger farmer organisations, collective marketing and direct supply arrangements with supermarkets, food processors and institutional buyers.

Brokers and Low Farm-Gate Prices Affect Potato Farmers

Potato production is an important agricultural activity in Kenya’s highland farming areas, providing income for thousands of smallholder households.

In Elgeyo Marakwet, farmers depend on potato sales to meet household expenses, finance the next planting season and support other farming activities.

However, the marketing process often leaves producers with limited control over the final selling price.

Brokers frequently connect farmers with traders and bulk buyers, offering a market for harvested potatoes. While middlemen perform an important role in aggregation, transport and market coordination, farmers face difficulties when they depend on a small number of buyers to negotiate prices.

In some cases, farmers have limited information about prevailing market prices in major consumption centres. They therefore struggle to determine whether the offers made at the farm gate reflect actual market demand.

The problem becomes more pronounced during peak harvesting periods when large volumes of potatoes enter the market simultaneously.

Without storage facilities or alternative buyers, farmers often accept the available offers to avoid losses associated with keeping harvested potatoes for too long.

Farmer Cooperatives Could Improve Bargaining Power

One of the proposed solutions is strengthening farmer cooperatives and organised marketing groups.

Through cooperatives, farmers would have an opportunity to aggregate their harvests, negotiate collectively and approach buyers with larger volumes.

Selling individually often puts small-scale producers at a disadvantage because they have limited quantities and face higher marketing costs.

Collective marketing would allow farmers to combine produce from different farms and negotiate supply contracts with bulk buyers.

Well-managed cooperatives could also coordinate harvesting schedules, organise transportation, provide market information and establish collection centres where potatoes undergo sorting and grading before sale.

For farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet, organised marketing would help reduce dependence on individual brokers and improve access to buyers seeking consistent volumes.

However, successful cooperatives require transparent leadership, proper financial management and clear payment arrangements. Farmers need confidence that their produce will be weighed accurately and payments made within agreed timelines.

Direct Market Linkages Could Reduce Unnecessary Intermediaries

Another proposed intervention involves establishing direct market connections between farmers and large buyers.

Supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, food processors, schools and other institutional buyers require regular supplies of potatoes. Organised farmer groups would have an opportunity to supply these markets through formal agreements.

Direct supply arrangements would give farmers greater access to information about quality requirements, quantities needed, delivery schedules and expected prices.

Processors also offer an important market for potato producers, particularly those growing varieties suitable for crisps, chips and other processed products.

However, farmers need to understand the specifications required by different buyers. Potatoes intended for processing often have different requirements from those sold for household consumption.

Organised production and marketing would help farmers plan their planting according to market demand instead of relying entirely on the open market after harvesting.

Direct linkages also require reliable transport, grading facilities and consistent supply. Individual farmers might struggle to meet these requirements, making cooperatives and producer organisations important intermediaries in their own right.

Other Measures Needed to Protect Potato Farmers

Beyond cooperatives and direct marketing, several interventions would help address the challenges facing potato producers.

1. Improve access to market information

Farmers need timely information on potato prices in major markets, including Nairobi, Eldoret, Nakuru and other consumption centres.

Access to reliable price information would help producers compare offers and negotiate with buyers from a better position.

2. Invest in potato storage facilities

Proper storage facilities would give farmers more flexibility when selling their harvests.

Instead of rushing to sell immediately after harvesting, organised farmer groups would have more time to identify buyers and negotiate supply arrangements.

Storage facilities must maintain suitable temperature, humidity and ventilation conditions to minimise sprouting, rotting and other post-harvest losses.

3. Strengthen potato grading and weighing systems

Transparent weighing and standardised grading would help farmers receive payment based on the actual quantity and quality of their produce.

Buyers and farmers should agree on grading requirements before transactions take place. This would reduce disputes over quality deductions and weights.

4. Expand access to processing markets

Kenya needs stronger linkages between potato farmers and processors producing crisps, frozen chips and other potato products.

A reliable processing market would provide an additional outlet for farmers, particularly when fresh potato markets experience oversupply.

5. Promote production planning based on market demand

Farmers would benefit from better coordination of planting and harvesting schedules.

When many producers harvest at the same time, market supply rises and prices often come under pressure. Farmer groups, extension officers and buyers should work together to improve production planning.

6. Improve access to affordable transport

Transport costs reduce the amount farmers retain from their sales.

Collective transportation through cooperatives and organised collection centres would help reduce the cost of moving potatoes from farms to major markets.

7. Strengthen farmer representation in agricultural policy

Potato producers need stronger representation in decisions affecting production, marketing, standards and trade.

County governments, national agricultural agencies and farmer organisations should involve producers when developing policies and programmes affecting the potato value chain.

A Fairer Potato Market Starts With Stronger Farmer Organisations

The concerns raised by potato farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet reflect wider challenges affecting smallholder agricultural marketing in Kenya.

Farmers carry much of the production risk, from purchasing inputs to managing unpredictable weather, pests, diseases and harvesting costs. Yet they often have limited influence over the prices offered when their produce reaches the market.

Strengthening cooperatives, improving market information, expanding storage and connecting farmers directly with bulk buyers would help address some of these challenges.

The responsibility also extends to county and national governments, which need to support practical marketing infrastructure and create an environment where organised farmers compete more effectively.

For potato farmers, higher production alone will not guarantee better incomes. Reliable markets, transparent transactions and stronger bargaining power must form part of the production strategy.

What other lasting solutions should Kenya implement to protect potato farmers from broker exploitation and ensure producers receive fair prices for their harvests?

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