Centre promotes new Irish potato seed

The International Potato Centre (CPI) on Friday launched the 2013/14 new improved Irish potato seed dissemination in Mchinji under its potato phase two project.

The launch follows the introduction of six Irish potato seed varieties by the centre in 2006 and were later evaluated from 2007 to 2011 for high tuber yield, resistance to late blight disease, cooking and processing qualities.

The development of the new seed was done in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural Research Services, Department of Agricultural Extension Services, Universal Industries Limited and Concern Universal with financial assistance from Irish Aid.

“Malawi has not had diverse sources of potato seed varieties except for Violet and Rosita only. Farmers had no major source of quality seed apart from saving small tuber seed from their harves, said CPI monitoring and evaluation officer Ted Nyekanyeka at a function held at Sankhani Primary School ground, Traditional Authority (T/A)Mlonyeni.

Nyekanyeka lamented that as such, over time, the practice has resulted in high disease incidences, degeneration of vigour of those varieties and low yields.

He said after five years of field evaluation at the end of 2011, goverment approved new Irish potato varieties that are not only high yielding and resistant to Late Blight,  ( worlds’ major potato disease) but also have very good cooking and processing qualities.

Nyekanyeka said seed multiplication started in 2012 at Tsangano and Mbawa research stations.

He said the seed dissemination exercise-taking place in target districts of Mchinji, Ntcheu, Dedza and Ntchisi, will go a long way to benefit not only farmers in the targeted potato growing communities but also other communities and other projects to develop their programmes.

According to Nyekanyeka, the overall project target is to reach 45 000 smallholder farmers with new varieties and other technologies aimed at improving potato production and potato value chains by 2016.