Why Kenyans May Be Forced To Dig Deeper Into Their Pockets To Afford A Favorite Delicacy
Kenyans may soon be forced to spend more to afford a plate of their favourite meal; Chips. This is following an acute shortage of Irish potatoes that has been blamed on overreliance by farmers on uncertified seeds.
In a report by Nation, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri revealed that the country is facing a shortage of 1.7 million tonnes of Irish potatoes.
“In the next one year, we are going to meet the deficit by ensuring that farmers use certified seed. To date, the total production of seeds is at 6,700 metric tonnes short of the 30,000 metric tonnes required,” he said.
The CS added that Parliament is set to regulate the measure of kilograms to stop farmers from being exploited by middlemen. The national government through the CS, however, noted that there are plans to increase the production of Irish potatoes in a bid to curb the shortage.
The price of the commodity has increased by 25 percent and restaurants may soon be forced to review their prices to avoid incurring losses. Other food outlets may opt to reduce the quantity of fries served in each plate.
French fries as famously referred to by Kenyans is a popular meal that normally retails for USD 1 in most fast food restaurants. With the current deficit, however, many restaurants may be forced to increase the cost by 25 percent to between USD 1.20 and USD 1.50.
Between 12 pm and 2 pm every day in Nairobi, fast food restaurants are gushing as huge numbers of people stream in to get their daily lunchtime snack. There are very long queues that lead to the cashier with everyone ordering a plate of chips and soda.
Once the people have been served they take some time before they can get a place to sit because the restaurant is packed to capacity.
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