Profitability in Potato Farming

Potato farming

People living with disability are taking on challenges in stride as they join the rest of the population in nation building. They have not been left behind and have ventured in all sectors including agriculture where Joseph Kasaine is actively involved in bamboo, tree tomato farm and potato farming.

Based in Mau Narok, Joseph formerly a drunkard, is a proud Person with Disability, having accepted his situation, changed his mentality and turned his fortunes around through potato  farming and others. As a first timer, he borrowed seeds and recycled them which didn’t yield much.
Having failed in his first two attempts, he never gave up. Bayer East Africa company and Agrico PSA came to his aid by providing certified seeds which in turn improved his production. They also provided him with ready market. From 1 acre, he can now produce 120 bags of potato as opposed to 20 bags previously.
His acreage has also increased to 5-10 acres. As the saying goes, ‘Disability is not inability’, Kasaine has demonstrated the same through farming and particularly potato farming.
Meanwhile, agriculture is hazardous as accidents do occur which leave farmers and workers with serious and permanent injuries. Illnesses such as heart diseases and arthritis also contribute to disabilities. Most of the affected persons want to continue with the agricultural way of life despite the challenges.

Generally, the challenges faced by persons living with disability are characterized as perception,
systemic and environmental.

Perception

People (communities) and entities (organizations) have behaviours and regulations that discriminate against persons living with disabilities. It is wrongly believed that they don’t belong in agriculture which is physically tasking. This contributes to them not accessing loans from financial institutions.

Systemic

These are policies, procedures and practices which don’t cater for persons with disabilities as a result rule them out of the value chain. This leaves persons living with disabilities depending on other people.

Environmental

• Lack of adaptable machinery for agricultural activities is one the challenges faced together with lack of applications of digital solutions.

To sum it up, user friendly technologies and modified production methods can go a long way in assisting  persons with disabilities overcome some of the challenges they face. There is a need to come up with policies that include persons living with disabilities. They need support through training to acquire new skills more so in the digital agriculture.

Similarly, more organizations should be encouraged to come up with agricultural programs (like the one of Kenya Breweries), involving persons with disabilities for them to participate and benefit.

As rightfully put, persons living with disabilities are farmers FIRST and people with disabilities SECOND.