District officials in Uganda urged to embrace Irish potato tissue culture

District Agricultural officers in Uganda have been urged to embrace Irish potato tissue culture so as to improve the quality and quantity of Irish potato production, which is one of the best foods to fight hunger.

While addressing agricultural officers, officers from the Operation Wealth creation and NAADS from across Uganda, Dr Erastus Nsubuga, the director Agro Genetic Technologies (AGT) said tissue culture is the answer to the modern day farming challenges as it addresses different problems affecting farmers.

This was at the training organised by AGT at its newly established center at Namawojjolo, Mukono district to equip the officers with the knowledge about new Irish Potato tissue culture, which is aimed at helping Irish potato farmers in different parts of Uganda to boost production.

Erastus Nsubuga, director Agro Genetic Technologies (AGT):
 

“Irish potato tissue culture seedlings are engineered in a special way to address a particular problem.”

“Because we use indigenous breeds, we only deal with particular genes to address a specific issue such as drought and diseases among others.”

He says because different parts of the country have different challenges, agricultural, NAADs and Operation Wealth Creation officers would now be giving out this breed of Irish potato since the technology can be used in engineering a breed that addresses particular challenges.