News on Potato Storage from Africa

Mustapha Baba Shehuri, minister of state for agriculture and rural development, says Nigeria will be among the world’s top three potato producing countries by 2025.

The Wageningen Research Foundation (WR), being subsidised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in the context of the Policy Support 'Sustainable agricultural development in a food system approach' published a study on the potato value chain in Morocco.

Reducing wastage in the food chain is high on the Moroccan government's agenda. Food wastage is also an important theme at the upcoming SIAM - Salon International de l’Agriculture in Meknès - agricultural trade show.

Rwanda Agricultural Board has said that it is working with agricultural experts to introduce affordable technologies that could help store potatoes for over a period of six months in a bid to fight against food insecurity and low prices affecting farmers.

An acute shortage of potatoes has hit Nyandarua County, a top producer of potatoes in Kenya and in fact, the entire country is suffering from a shortage.

Recently, a new box storage system installed by Mooij Agro in Algeria at Agrico Algérie was inaugurated in the presence of the Dutch Ambassador in Algeria, Mr. Robert van Embden and the local governor.

BlackPace Africa Group has bought Ndiyo Business Group, a major producer of salted potato chips in Rwanda.

Michael Agbogo, co-founder of Vicampro, disclosed that Nigerians consume about 120 tonnes of French fries daily, even as the whole of West Africa region lacks real food processors. According to him, 'Nigeria imports about $200 million worth of French fries annually'...

Drought and hot conditions since September 2015 have a negative impact on yields in almost all the potato production regions in South Africa. Currently market prices are at the highest levels ever, while potato stock levels are at record low levels.

The Dutch Embassy in Kenya will next week launch the Potato Value Chain Africa website at the Eldoret Agri-Trade Fair, in a bid to support farmers in the country.

The private sector has been urged to invest in Rwanda's Irish potato production so as to address the shortage and help prevent price fluctuations.

The recently published LEI/WUR report ‘The value chain for seed and ware potatoes in Kenya’ emphasises the importance of conditioned storage for the continuous availability of certified seed potatoes.

A project to introduce low-cost potato seed storage system in regions in Kenya where the crop is grown has been launched.

Mozambique’s Agricultural Development Fund (FDA) plans to make efforts to store seed potatoes as the government has set a target to stop importing the product by 2013, the Fund’s chairman said.

The humble Dutch potato is at the centre of a major row in Tunisia as farmers say potatoes imported from the Netherlands are so cheap that local production is being undermined.   Mustafa Ben Jamaila from the Tunisian Potato Producer's League complains ...

The Ministry of Agriculture has embarked on the revival of potato growing to boost the country’s food security. Among the key priorities are the rehabilitation of cold stores, construction and equipping tissue culture laboratories and green houses. ...