{"id":10224,"date":"2024-10-17T18:23:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T15:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/?p=10224"},"modified":"2024-10-18T13:25:17","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T10:25:17","slug":"ainabkoi-potato-processing-plant-delivering-on-a-commitment-made-to-farmers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/ainabkoi-potato-processing-plant-delivering-on-a-commitment-made-to-farmers","title":{"rendered":"AINABKOI POTATO PROCESSING PLANT: DELIVERING ON A COMMITMENT MADE TO FARMERS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The construction of the Ainabkoi Potato Processing and Storage Plant is in advanced stage, with the facility currently 40% complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vital project, aligned with Governor Dr. Jonathan Bii’s “Nguzo Kumi” agenda, aims to bolster the agricultural sector in Ainabkoi by providing farmers with essential resources for value addition, storage, and training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a site visit on Thursday, Governor Dr. Bii emphasized the pivotal role the facility will play in transforming the agricultural landscape in Ainabkoi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis processing plant is not just a structure; it is a commitment to our farmers. It will empower them by providing the support and infrastructure they need to enhance their productivity and income,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The necessity for such a facility is underscored by alarming statistics from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which estimates that around 1.3 billion tonnes of food intended for human consumption is lost or wasted each year. In Kenya, approximately 19% of potato production is damaged or lost every season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Given that over 75% of the potato production in Uasin Gishu County originates from Ainabkoi, the decision to construct a processing and storage plant in the area is both strategic and critical to mitigating the losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ainabkoi processing plant will feature a cold room and backhouse, specifically designed to support local farmers in preserving the quality of their produce and minimizing post-harvest losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Area MCA Hon. Gilbert Chepkong’a expressed Confidence in the timeline, noting that the store is slated to be fully functional by the end of the year. He urged construction teams to maintain their momentum to ensure adherence to the scheduled completion date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to ensure that this facility is operational as soon as possible to start benefiting our farmers,\u201d he highlighted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Officers, Mr. Elphas Kesio (Agriculture) together with Nixon Cheplong (Livestock), noted the importance of this investment for the region’s potato farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Not only will this facility provide a place for proper storage, but it will also serve as a transformation center where farmers can process their potatoes into value-added products,\u201d Kesio explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current challenges faced by potato farmers are significant, particularly perennial issues of perishability that often compel them to sell their crops immediately after harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rush to market leads to oversupply and therefore reduced prices resulting in considerable losses. \u201cWith the cold room facilities, we will be able to keep potatoes fresh for longer periods. This means that farmers would sell their produce at times that reflect the true market value, rather than the prevailing circumstances forcing them to sell immediately after harvest,\u201d Mr. Kesio added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The construction of the Ainabkoi Potato Processing and Storage Plant is in advanced stage, with the facility currently 40% complete. The vital project, aligned with Governor Dr. Jonathan Bii’s “Nguzo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10227,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[94,704,116,52,851,3,7,50,8,68],"tags":[850,11,12],"class_list":["post-10224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agricultural-extension","category-agricultural-innovation","category-agricultural-transformation","category-agriculture","category-ainabkoi-potato-processing-and-storage-plant","category-city-news","category-government","category-governors-office","category-latest-news","category-nguzo-kumi-manifesto","tag-ainabkoi-potato-processing-and-storage-plant","tag-development","tag-government"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10224"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10230,"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10224\/revisions\/10230"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uasingishu.go.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}