Scott Angle plants a tree to mark the potato storage inauguration.
IFDC president and CEO, Dr. J. Scott Angle, recently visited agribusinesses in Kenya and inaugurated a new potato storage facility constructed to support local farmer groups. The IFDC team toured Shalem Investments, an agri-food company partnering with the Netherlands-funded 2SCALE program, and New Holland Chips. 2SCALE offers a range of support services to private partners – companies and farmer groups – enabling them to produce, transform, and supply quality food products to local, national, and regional end-user markets, including base-of-the pyramid consumers.
Ruth Kinoti, founder and CEO of Shalem Investments, gave a tour of her new factory, which makes fortified sorghum flour from sorghum purchased from 2SCALE farmers. 2SCALE has helped her grow from trader to processor, selling her own brand of flour. New Holland Chips owner, Jean Pierre, also sources from local farmers. New Holland partners with potato growers in Laikipia County.
Many rural potato farmers lack proper storage. Dr. Angle and Irish Ambassador to Kenya, Dr. Vincent O’Neill, inaugurated a new potato storage facility, constructed through an Irish Aid project implemented by IFDC to strengthen the potato value chain. This storage building will help farmers in Nyeri, Kenya, reduce post-harvest losses.
View a photo slideshow of the trip below.
Ruth Kinoti, Shalem Investments founder and CEO, gives Scott Angle, IFDC president and CEO, a tour of a new factory that makes fortified sorghum flour from sorghum purchased from 2SCALE farmers.
Ruth Kinoti, Shalem Investments founder and CEO, gives Scott Angle, IFDC president and CEO, a tour of a new factory that makes fortified sorghum flour from sorghum purchased from 2SCALE farmers.
Fortified maize meal produced by Shalem Investments
New Holland Chips factory in Laikipia. From left to right: Judith Chabari, 2SCALE cluster advisor, Kenya; New Holland Chips owner, Jean Pierre; Scott Angle; and Alexander Fernando, IFDC deputy director for East and Southern Africa.
Scott Angle (right) and Dr. Vincent O’Neill (left), Irish Ambassador to Kenya, inaugurate a new potato storage facility to support Kenyan potato farmers.
Community leaders in Nyeri County presented a traditional shawl (shuka) and a ceremonial fly-whisk to Scott Angle, Ambassador Vincent O’Neill, and the Ambassador’s wife, Bróna Ní Mhuirí. The area chief (traditional governing authority) is standing behind Ambassador O’Neill.
Potato farm owner, Robert Kamau (second from right), supplies potatoes to New Holland Chips. Observing Mr. Kamau’s potato field are (from left to right) Nancy Kahare, sub-county agriculture officer; Robert Thuo, county minister of agriculture; Ambassador Vincent O’Neill; Mr. Kamau; and Scott Angle.
