Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Peter Munya has confirmed Kentucky Fried Kitchen (KFC) will source its potatoes from Kenyan farmers.
The agreement comes weeks after the fast-food chain announced it had run out of potatoes to make their fries. A public uproar followed after Kenyans on social media learnt that KFC sources potatoes outside of Kenya.
READ – Confusion as KFC Kenya Runs Out of Potatoes… Still Won’t Buy Local
Speaking Wednesday during the 4th intergovernmental Forum for Agriculture, Peter Munya said an agreement has been reached between KFC and local potato farmers.
The Agriculture Cabinet Secretary said local farmers are well-equipped to produce the potato varieties that KFC uses.
“We have actually agreed with KFC to work together. They have identified the people they want to work with to start rolling out particular varieties that they require and they have partners who do it the way they want it done and I think there is a team already working on the rollout,” CS Munya said.
“We met and told them to tell us what variety they want and since it is available, we will make arrangements for seed multiplication so that by June they will be sourcing potatoes from us.
“We have come up with a plan on how to grow those particular varieties that KFC requires and to ensure that we have varieties that please the palate of those interested in KFC chips.”
The Minister mentioned this does not mean locally grown varieties do not make good chips.
CS Munya also dismissed claims of a potato crisis in the country, saying; “The real crisis in the potato sub-sector is supporting farmers to grow, supporting them to deal with the post-harvest losses and ensuring they reach the market. The post-harvest losses is where the middlemen come to exploit them. When there is overproduction, potatoes are highly perishable.”
