News on Potato Defects and Diseases from Africa

A major controversy has broken out over government plan to import seed potato favoured for the production of high quality crisps and chips.

The South African government has rejected the Agriculture Research Council’s (ARC’s) application to provide genetically modified potatoes to local farmers, saying it was concerned about its safety and economic effect. “This is probably the mo...

SCRI is leading an international project to help potato farmers in Kenya.The mission is being supported with a grant from the Monsanto Fund totalling £186,000. The ambition is to increase potato yields - and importantly Kenyan farmer's incomes.

A pest-resistant strain of genetically modified potato, earmarked for possible commercial release in South Africa, will be of no use to local spud farmers, said the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) this week. It will also increase risk to the farmer ...