In October 2023, Fraxen Consult Ltd was privileged to sign a Seed Potato Distribution Agreement with Agrico BV, a Netherlands-based Seed Manufacturing Company, and Agrico-PSA a Kenyan-based seed potato multiplier. Agrico BV. is a world leader in new potato varieties, seed potatoes, and ware potatoes, investing in producing high-quality, high-yield, healthy potatoes all around the world. Fraxen Consult Ltd will begin with importing Seed Potatoes from Agrico PSA, in Kenya, with the hope to conduct seed multiplication in Tanzania in the future.
By signing the distribution agreement with Fraxen Consult Ltd, Agrico took a step further toward its continued growth in East Africa. The signing took place at this year’s varieties show, which included potato stakeholders and Agrico partners from across the globe.
Profitable Potato Value Chains in East Africa
Years ago, Agrico decided to come up with a strategy for East Africa, involving the launch of its project in Kenya. This initiative in Kenya has enabled Agrico to establish a profitable potato value chain that contributes to food security in this country. By using high-quality seed potatoes and with good guidance based on knowledge, prospective small farms can increase their potato yield fourfold to fivefold. This gives Kenya a substantial economic boost, ultimately improving the living standards of the country’s inhabitants and their environment.
The situation in Tanzania is similar to the market in Kenya before Agrico established a profitable potato value chain in this country.
In Tanzania, we have registered three potato varieties: Arizona, Markies, and Manitou. Because of the market preference, in Tanzania, we are starting with two varieties Manitou and Markies.
Manitou: the potato variety with the proven highest yield
As part of a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Tanzanian and Dutch governments, in 2017 Wageningen University founded a Center of Development for the Potato Industry in Tanzania (CDPIT). Over several years, Wageningen University determined how different Dutch varieties fared under the challenging Tanzanian conditions. This revealed that all Agrico potato varieties achieved very high yields, with Manitou achieving the highest score of all Dutch varieties. The combination of good agricultural practices, production through irrigation, plus the Manitou variety itself, resulted in yields of between 62 and 72 tons per ha (25 and 29 tons per acre). Hence our Tanzanian slogan ‘Manitou, the potato variety with the proven highest yield
Mark Zuidhof, Agrico’s Operational Director: “The market in Tanzania has very high potential. The country has 3.7 million small-scale farmers with an average low potato yield of around 2 to 3 tons per acre. Our existing potato varieties allow us to improve yields for these farmers by up to 12 and 16 tons per acre. We are very pleased that Teddy Mcha decided to become a distributor for Agrico. She has good knowledge of the local market, but also a lot of experience in cooperations between Dutch and Tanzanian companies within the agricultural sector, because of her previous roles for the embassy – and her position as managing director of CDPIT.” Agrico’s seed potatoes will now be exported to small-scale farmers in Tanzania from later this year, 2023. Agrico needs to have a presence in Tanzania because this is a huge market to which we can supply our high-quality seed potatoes.
Kimoi Moi, Director of Agrico Potato Service Africa: “By applying the experience we have gained in Kenya and the knowledge of our people, we can provide our partner in Tanzania with optimum support.”
Teddy Mcha, a representative for Tanzania: “This cooperation is important because we can now start to distribute high-quality seed potatoes to small-scale farmers in Tanzania. CDPIT has proven that these Agrico varieties achieve excellent results in Tanzania. By opting for existing Agrico varieties, Tanzanian farmers can scale up very quickly, thus improving their income. The farmers who were familiar with the varieties from CDPIT’s history (early adopters) are aware of this; they have placed their first orders and will soon be planting these seed potatoes. To raise awareness of this amongst other farmers (the significant majority), we are developing various marketing activities. For example, we are planting demonstration fields, where farmers can see the varieties Manitou and Markies. This enables us to provide proper help and support on the best way of growing these varieties.”