Kenia: Researchers set to unveil new potato seed variety

It will be resistant to bacterial wilt and viruses which have been the major headache for the farmers for many years, thus saving them the cost of buying expensive anti-fungal chemicals.  Muigai, who spoke during a field day at Karai Model Village in Kirinyago county, said this will in turn result in higher yields and incomes for farmers.The procedure used to come up with the new seed variety, he said, is similar to that used in banana tissue culture, although there are more stages involved before its commercialisation.He assured farmers the new seeds will be easily available and the cost affordable to boost potato production in the country.

The project was started a year ago with financial assistance from the Korea Project on International Agriculture (KOPIA).KOPIA Kenya Centre director Dr Kim Choong Hoe Kim urged beneficiaries of the project at Karai Model Village to pass on knowledge on the new technology to other farmers throughout the country.

“Multiplication of the clean seed should be the motto as the country grapples to realize food sufficiency for its high population,’’ he said.He said the one-year research on the crop has resulted into positive discoveries, adding that more funds will be made available for further research and to bring more farmers on board in the next two years. Kim urged farmers to increase productivity, commercialisation and competitiveness of the crop through the use of the new found quality seed.

The potato is the second most important food crop in Kenya after maize and  is also an important source of revenue, employing more than 2.5 million people in potato farming activities across the entire production chain.