Potato News from Africa

During a recent meeting of governors and county representatives from 14 counties in Nakuru (Kenya) on irish potato production, packaging and marketing, it was resolved that from January 2014, farmers should pack their produce in not more than 50kg bags.

Potatoes supply more calories than grain, many vitamins and minerals and are an important source of income for the growers in the rural areas of West Africa. Therefore the German development assistance initiates production of potatoes in areas of famine.

The horticulture industry of Zimbabwe is calling for higher import tariffs on imported horticulture products to avert the collapse of the local industry.

Dewulf, specialist in harvesting technology of potatoes and carrots, introduced its first potato harvester in South-Africa earlier this year.

South Africa and the European Union (EU) are headed for another bruising dispute over trade access. At issue this time around are frozen potato chips (frozen french fries) from the EU.

Scientists in Uganda will soon start confined trials of genetically modified strains of Irish potato designed to be resistant to Phytophthora infestans, the fungus that causes potato blight, now devastating the crop in the west of the country.

Semagn-Asredie Kolech, a Cornell doctoral candidate in the field of horticulture, studies the potato and bridges the tradition of Ethiopian farming with the modernity of agricultural science.

The potato (Irish) that has fed the people of southwestern Uganda (Kabale) for generations is being threatened by several pests and diseases, including the potato bacterial wilt.

Njoroge is studying a new lineage of Phytophthora infestans called KE-1 that is spreading rapidly across East Africa.

Cutting food waste went a notch higher on Tuesday evening as world ministers were treated to a feast of Kenyan foodstuff rejected by UK supermarkets.

Según estudios recientes, la población del patógeno en Kenia y parte de Uganda se ha modificado tan rápidamente que podría volverse inmanejable para los agricultores.

Prof André Jooste recently took over as CEO of Potatoes South Africa (PSA), after nearly six years at the National Agriculture Marketing Council (NAMC). He spoke to Robyn Joubert of Farmers Weekly (South Africa) about his vision for the future.

Pearl Capital Partners (Pearl) has recently concluded an investment of KSh 200 million (US$ 2,300,000) in the Kenyan potato processor Midlands Limited through the African Agricultural Capital Fund (AACF).

Kenya is expected to benefit from this bilateral agreement with the government of the Netherlands to produce new varieties of potatoes and boost potato growing in Kenya.

Algeria is considering to import potatoes in face of a possible shortage in the market, Agriculture Minister Rachid Benaissa said Sunday.

Climate change could result in a positive outcome for the potato industry and possibly lead to potatoes becoming one of the top staple crops in the world

A new brand campaign for Potatoes South Africa (PSA), the official representative of potato producers in South Africa, wishes to change South Africans into a Potato Nation that maintains balanced diets and make potatoes the everyday, fat-free heart of ...

Russia has discovered brown rot in a shipment of potatoes imported from Egypt, threatening to halt trade of the crop between the two countries, an Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture official said Wednesday