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Nyandarua County, a key hub for potato production in Kenya, took a monumental step forward with a government-led project to cultivate certified potato seeds for local farmers. Funded by the EU, this initiative resulted in the construction of a cutting-edge Large-Scale Storage Solution at the Ol Joro Orok Agricultural Training Center. With a capacity of 500 tons, this modern facility boasts advanced cooling and ventilation systems, complemented by machinery and auxiliary equipment to ensure optimal storage operations.
Kenya faces a significant challenge, with only 1-5% of its seed potato demand currently being met. This project addresses this gap by producing clean, certified seed potatoes for local farmers. Efficient logistics are critical for distributing these high-quality seeds, and the Nyandarua cold store enables the county government to deliver seed potatoes to farmers exactly when and where they are needed.
Seed potatoes are the cornerstone of the potato value chain. Poor-quality seeds compromise the entire chain, leading to inferior crop yields. To address this, the cold store was designed with advanced refrigeration systems capable of maintaining precise internal conditions. The facility sustains stable temperatures of 1-4°C, even in Kenya’s fluctuating climate, thanks to high-quality sandwich panel insulation. This ensures energy efficiency while protecting the seed potatoes from external temperature variations, guaranteeing their quality for planting.
This project stands out for its efficient execution. With a dedicated team of local workers, a Kenyan contractor, and two supervisors from the Netherlands, the storage facility was completed in just two weeks. To maximize productivity, the team stayed onsite in a nearby hostel, eliminating travel time. Despite challenges like delays in releasing containers at the port, the team met their deadlines. Within two days, the steel structure was assembled using a telescopic crane. Over the next three days, the walls and roof were cladded, followed by the installation of equipment and finishing touches. This collaborative effort has earned praise from stakeholders and attracted visits from government officials across Kenya for benchmarking purposes.
The success of this project has established a benchmark for climate-controlled agricultural storage in Kenya. It has sparked interest in developing similar facilities, with the potential to revolutionize food storage practices and reduce post-harvest losses across the region.
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