Horticultural News January - February issue

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Control: Spray the potato crop with a suitable insecticide and dust stored potatoes with a suitable insecticide. Cut worms: These cut the stems of emerging plants. Exposed tubers may also be damaged. Control: Spray with suitable insecticides. Leaf miners: These mine the leaves and cause tunnels. The yields of infected plants are severely reduced. ! 32 Harvesting Highest yields are obtained by leaving potatoes in the ground until they mature. Hardening of the skin of tubers is made faster by cutting or pulling the haulm (stems and leaves) 10-14 days before harvesting of the crop. Harvest the crop using blunt objects like sticks so as to minimize damage to tubers. Grading and Storage remove misshapen, diseased, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute Strengthening Kenya’s food security & income Kaptagat Road, Loresho. P O Box 57811-00200, Nairobi Kenya. Tel+254 20 4183301-20 Email:resource.centre@kari.org www.kari.org H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I j a n u a r y - F E B r u a r y 2 0 1 2 Harvesting, grading, storage and marketing greened and damaged tubers before packing potatoes for sale or storage. Potatoes can be graded by sizes into baby potatoes (less than 30 mm), small (30-45 mm), medium (45-65 mm) and large (65-80 mm). Keep tubers for eating in dark stores to prevent greening. The store should be cool with enough circulation of air. Marketing Marketing of potatoes is generally the responsibility of the grower and is characterized by a strong presence of brokers. Farmers may enter into contracts to supply processors with desired potato varieties. according to legal notice no. 44 of 2005, ware potatoes for trade should sorted and graded and only be packaged in sisal or jute bags. The size of such a bag should be enough to accommodate ware potato of 110 kg. The legal notice no. 113 of 2008, empowers local authorities to enforce the regulations on ware potato packaging.
Anti-counterfeits committee chairman DK Kagwe are we winning? Fakes 5% down This is the million dollar question facing the agrochemical fraternity as it enters the second year since the law dealing in counterfeits was revised. “We are not there yet but we are on track”, said the anti-counterfeits committee chairman DK Kagwe who argues for a good measure that although the fruits of the efforts on the ground over the past 24 months are yet to be appreciated there has been a gradual reduction in the frequency of fake pest control products. Sources in the sector say the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) that || counterfeits || is mandated relevant authorities and agencies. not registered under the umbrella. by law to arrest The agrochemicals sector is as a measure to counter and align before currently working closely with the the counterfeiters, the kadogo courts those Kenya anti-Counterfeits agency economy has found its way in the caught in the act, to beef up the fight. reports agrochemical sector with companies nothing much indicate that the business in fakes now packaging in smaller packs to has been coming has reduced by over 5 per cent, an avoid decanting of products, that from that end. indication that the war is gradually has been blamed for fuelling faking. “PCPB has being won. Estimates are that “The small packs are pocket friendly, the fakes cost the industry more safe and good for the environment than Ksh 2 billion annually, because farmers don’t need to store not considering them since most are for single spray the damage to applications”, said Mr Kagwe. The public health and packs are labelled in both English environment. This is and Kiswahili. partly attributed to according to the anti-counterfeits the revised fines of committee, it is important that a minimum of Ksh farmers only purchase products that 250,000 – I million bear both the aaK and PCPB logos or a two years which give a considerable degree imprisonment or both, of being genuine, and to always up to Ksh 20,000 fine two call both institutions whenever in years ago, which a suspect doubt. would pay up and continue To minimize on the possibility in business. “The hefty fines of stockists applying double seem to have deterred a standards and aid counterfeit trade, number of counterfeiters and companies have been asked to fakers, “ Mr Kagwe said. register their distributors with aaK, The anti-counterfeits education who in turn are supposed to be seeks to bring farmers and stockists licensed by PCPB. “This will make it up to speed with the skills and easier for the fraternity to get a non actions they need to employ to complying agent displined or even detect fakes. “It has been agreed deregistered if they are found to be that all agrochemical training stocking fakes. We will name and been more reactive than proactive sessions include a component of shame culprits and run them out of when it comes to arresting the anti-counterfeit message, and this fake business”, Mr Kagwe added. malpractice”, a source who spoke has been agreed on by members a listing of registered stockists on condition of anonymity said. of the agrochemical association of will be availed to farmers during Despite the sluggish record, Kenya (aaK). farmer meetings, field days, there is no let-up, said Mr Kagwe It is being recommended that exhibitions, shows and during who asserts that farmer education farmers and stockists deal only training activities , and the clarion will be enhanced this year since with companies falling under aaK call; always obtain and maintain a it is important for the message to because outside the association, it receipt for all purchases is being stay alive. “Counterfeiters target is almost impossible to trace back repeated. “This is always the safest well known products especially a product source, while no code bet, to trace the origin of a product when demand is high and supply of conduct binds non members whenever its efficacy is questioned. low therefore, it is important for to comply with the regulations. again we want to discourage companies to ensure that their In addition, aaK takes over the farmers from buying agrochemical products are always in stock to responsibility of following up on products from van salesmen who avoid creating the vacuum that reported cases of counterfeits, a sell agrochemicals during market attracts the fakes,” he said adding situation that wouldn’t obtain if days from the back of a pick-up or that if the shortage is inevitable, a farmer or a stockist was dealing saloon cars. this should be communicated to with a company’s product that is H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I j a n u a r y - F E B r u a r y 2 0 1 2 33
Page 1 and 2: NO. 20 JAN/FEB 2012 Ksh 300, US$5 H
Page 3 and 4: H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I
Page 5 and 6: seasonal credit for food security Y
Page 7 and 8: GODOWNS FOR SALE/TO LET SAKU BUSINE
Page 11 and 12: ONIONS Onions are important horticu
Page 13 and 14: Wins Second MDG Award Eradicating E
Page 15 and 16: An Amiran agronomist shares a light
Page 17 and 18: secondary schools in the water scar
Page 19 and 20: HIGH CONCENTRATION POTASSIUM SOLUTI
Page 21 and 22: For over 30 years farmers have trus
Page 23 and 24: Chrysal Africa now offers — Pre-t
Page 29 and 30: 40-50 % PA Fund job creation for on
Page 31: Sources of seed Farmers should use
Page 35 and 36: Harakisha....wapi page za AAK? you
Page 43 and 44: Jos Hansen (EA) Ltd, a pump supplie
Page 45 and 46: Belspray range Bellspray High N: NP
Page 47 and 48: Good neigbours traditional sugarcan
Page 51 and 52: Soil sampling using Trimble GPS now
Page 53 and 54: HORTICULTURAL CROPS DEVELOPMENT AUT
Page 55 and 56: HORTICULTURAL CROPS DEVELOPMENT AUT
Page 57 and 58: Between June and November 2
Page 59 and 60: Market overview sales volume
Page 61 and 62:   Self‐service Sales volume
Page 63 and 64: June  Flowers  9,324,582  3,2

Horticultural News January - February issue

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