Irish potatoes are vital in the Sebei sub-region, ensuring food security and income for farmers. However, poor seed quality, pests, diseases and inadequate storage threaten production.
These potatoes have not only sustained the local population, but also served as a major export to neighbouring Kenya.
Moses Kiptala, a resident of Mengya village in Kween district, spoke of the significance of good-quality seeds, noting that high-quality Irish potato seeds have historically delivered high returns per unit area due to their genetic potential.
The Sebei sub-region, encompassing Kapchorwa, Bukwo and Kween districts, has long been celebrated for its production of high-quality Irish potatoes.
However, Kiptala says the region is now facing a crisis that threatens its agricultural heritage. Poor seed quality and the spread of pests and diseases are reducing yields, while a lack of adequate storage facilities leads to post[1]harvest losses.
These challenges jeopardise both the livelihoods of local farmers and the region’s reputation as one of the leading Irish potato producers.
Isaac Malinga, a prominent farmer from Kapchesombe village in Kapchorwa district, says the competitive market between Uganda and Kenya pushes farmers to prioritise high-quality Irish potato production.
However, he notes that this competition comes with significant challenges.
“While we work hard to meet market demands, the spread of fake and contaminated seeds is a major setback,” Malinga says.
He says poor-quality seeds result in reduced yields, affecting both farmers’ earnings and the region’s reputation for excellence.
Malinga calls for stricter seed regulations and improved access to genuine seeds to enable farmers to compete effectively in the regional market.
Causes of the crisis
Dr Alex Barekye, the former head of Kachwekano Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, explains that the greatest challenge with potatoes has been the lack of a seed system. For now, the National Agricultural Research Organisation’s (NARO) focus is on the development of a comprehensive potato seed system to bridge the gap and force farmers to recycle their seeds, reducing productivity.
“We have tissue culture from which we develop materials into conventional screen houses like the ones farmers have to generate mini tubers given to farmers to multiply. We also provide initial tissue culture materials and then farmers are trained such that they can multiply and bulk their own seed,” he adds.
Barekye says partnerships with organisations like the International Potato Centre have helped NARO in coming up with new varieties, disease diagnoses and promotion of technologies.
NARO has also developed varieties suitable for processing following the shape, taste and colour, among others, through partnerships with private Dutch companies.
“With the International Fertiliser Development Centre which has worked with NARO since 2014 under the potato sector, we have developed farmers’ capacity to get screen houses as we give them tissue culture plantlets and they produce mini tubers. We work with them closely to ensure quality,” he explains.
Farmers in the Sebei sub-region face growing difficulties in accessing certified, disease-free potato seeds, a critical factor in maintaining high yields and healthy crops.
The use of low-quality seed has reduced productivity and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases, leaving many farmers struggling to sustain their livelihoods.
Victor Bukose, a trader and farmer in Kapchorwa town, observes that the availability of quality seedlings has significantly declined over the past eight months.
This scarcity forces farmers to rely on substandard seeds, exacerbating the problem. Bukose calls for improved distribution networks and stricter monitoring to address this pressing issue.
Soil degradation
Continuous farming without replenishing soil nutrients has led to declining soil fertility. This issue is exacerbated by soil erosion in the region’s hilly terrain.
Market fluctuations
Margaret Chelengati, a trader in Kapchorwa, thinks that the lack of stable markets and the exploitation of farmers by middlemen have created economic disincentives for potato production.
“Insufficient government support, in the form of subsidies and extension services, has left farmers ill-equipped to handle these challenges,” she says.
During the rainy season, many households in the Sebei sub-region grow Irish potatoes, leading to a surge in production.
While the market is broad, the massive supply often results in a significant drop in farm gate prices, sometimes falling as low as sh50,000 for a 100kg bag, down from sh60,000. Despite being a lucrative venture, Irish potatoes are highly perishable.
When production is high, surplus potatoes often rot due to limited storage and market demand. The loose, porous soils in the Sebei sub-region, similar to the rest of the Elgon mountain area, also contribute to this problem.
During the rainy season, roads become impassable. Many farmers, particularly those in remote areas, are unable to transport their produce to the market. Trucks frequently get stuck, causing significant losses.
Kiptala mentions leaving unharvested potatoes underground by slashing the plants to preserve their crops.
“This method has proven to be highly effective in preserving the crop, especially during the peak of the rainy season,” he says.
Another challenge potato farmers face is fungal infections, which cause the plant’s leaves to wither and dry, affecting the overall yield.
Poor post-harvest handling
This remains a critical challenge for potato farmers in the Sebei sub-region, causing substantial losses after harvest.
Without access to modern storage facilities, farmers often resort to traditional methods that fail to protect the produce from spoilage, pests, and temperature fluctuations.
Peter Ngania, a commercial farmer, mentions the importance of adopting ambient storage technologies, such as cold storage and ventilated warehouses, to preserve the quality of harvested potatoes.
“These facilities would not only reduce losses but also help stabilise market supply, preventing price fluctuations,” Ngania says.
Community perspectives
Local farmers stress the importance of collective action in addressing the crisis.
Malinga urges the Government to prioritise the availability of quality seeds, saying increased productivity depends chiefl y on this crucial factor.
Planting process
Seed preparation
Irish potatoes are grown from pieces of the tuber. This seed piece provides food for the plant until it grows a root system.
The seed potato contains buds or “eyes” which sprout and grow into plants. A good seed is characterised by having at least one good “eye”. To ensure high quality, it is advisable to acquire seeds from a certify
ed source, research station or established Irish potato seed producers.
Challenges
Planting materials in the Sebei sub-region are both expensive and scarce.
“Our Irish potato seed material usually comes from Kabale, where the Government, through the National Agricultural Research Organisation, has established a seed multiplication centre,” Malinga says.
Farmers must be cautious when procuring seed materials to avoid being victims of fraud. Some farmers suffer losses after purchasing fake seeds.
Others, in desperation, buy seeds from sympathetic farmers who get them from genuine suppliers.
However, even these transactions often come at a steep cost, with some seeds being sold for as much as sh3m.
Garden preparation
Choose land with well-drained sandy loamy soils.
- Clear the bush and plough the land to soften it. The average cost of preparing an acre is sh350,000 — including digging the ridges.
- Farmers must know the type of soil they have to get the right seed for it. Soil testing costs between sh30,000 and sh50,000 per sample. An acre requires at least three to four samples.
- Dig for the second time after two weeks and make ridges. Adequate tilling and drainage are essential to increase the oxygen supply, which is crucial for Irish Potato growth; the crop grows best on raised beds. This can be done during initial land preparation or immediately after planting.
Raised beds improve soil moisture, temperature, aeration and drainage. Avoid planting in water-logged areas.
Fertiliser application
Irish potatoes need adequate fertilisers in the early season, apply most of the fertiliser just before planting. The fertiliser should not touch the seed piece to avoid rotting.
To apply the fertiliser, flatten the beds so they are 6-8in high and 10-12in wide.
Each acre takes 50kg of NPK at sh130,000 per bag. Alternatively, one can use homemade manure at a rate of one spade per potato hole.
Spacing
Make 15-30cm (6-12in) high ridges 2ft (60cm) apart. Plant sprouted big-size healthy tubers spaced at 30cm in rows, 5-7.5cm deep for big-size tubers and small-size tubers for smaller-size tuber yield. In the case of single rows, leave 2ft (60cm) to 3ft (90cm) apart and in the case of double rows leave a space of 6ft (180cm) between the rows.
The biggest challenge with Irish potato farmers is aphids which carry viruses, including the Potato leafroll virus and Potato Virus Y. Then, pests, such as the leaf miners, eat up the leaves of the plants.
However, farmers must practise crop rotation to allow the soil to regain its fertility. They should thoroughly wash their hands with a disinfectant before entering the farm and handling the crops.
This is to avoid the spread of diseases to other farms that do not have such diseases.
Growing irish potatoes
Isaac Malinga, a farmer, says Irish potatoes mature in three months.
He says the average yield per acre in Sebei is 80 bags of 100kg. In developed countries, such as the Netherlands, a single acre yields as much as 70 tonnes.
In Uganda, however, the average yield is five tonnes per acre. The farm gate price in Sebei ranges from sh60,000 to sh70,000 per 100kg bag during the rainy season and sh80,000 to sh90,000 during the dry season.
“Growing the crop off-season is possible here because the hilly terrain of Sebei is endowed with innumerable natural streams that drain from the rocky hills. All that a farmer would require is a set of irrigation sprinklers,” Malinga says.
Pests and diseases
Pests and diseases have become a major threat to Irish potato production in the Sebei sub-region, with common culprits being early blight, late blight, bacterial soft rot and root-knot nematodes.
These problems have drastically reduced yields, leaving many farmers with economic losses.
Judith Munerya, a local farmer, explains that inadequate disease management practices, such as delayed spraying and the use of ineffective chemicals, have allowed these issues to persist and spread.
She adds that many farmers lack access to reliable extension services and affordable pesticides, making it difficult to control outbreaks.
Addressing these challenges requires better training and resources for farmers.
