Nieuws uit Afrika

The government of Zimbabwe, in conjunction with Kutsaga Research Station has embarked on a seed potato multiplication programme from mini-tuber to commercial seed potato.

The partnership targets to introduce new technologies and train smallholder farmers on how to improve potato yields through the use of quality seeds, resilient varieties, disease management and post-harvest management.

Demand for potatoes in eastern Africa has been growing steadily. This growth is driven in part by rising demand from the fast food industry and for processing into high value products such as crisps, chips and starch. Despite an increase of 60% in the area of cultivated land, production has been declining in Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda.

Egypt has exported a total of 674,480 tons of potatoes to world market, especially the European Union countries, since April 2020, according to Head of Central Administration of Plant Quarantine at the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Ahmed al-Attar.

A UK manufacturer of vegetable harvesting and handling machinery has supplied its first to order to South Africa thanks to a recommendation from a Canadian company. Scotts Precision Manufacturing has sent one of its Evolution separators to Bestbier South Africa after Allan Equipment in Canada recommended the unique machine.

Addressing seed shortages for potato is a perennial challenge in many potato-producing countries. Potato seed systems rely on several successive generations of bulking seed tubers to produce commercial seed.

TOMRA has opened new regional headquarters in Johannesburg to strengthen its commitment to customers in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.

In Kenya, potatoes are a key staple food, second only to maize. Yet its potato value chain has been underdeveloped for decades also. This has been acknowledged by the Kenyan government.

Vermindering van de verliezen in de voedselketen staat bij de Marokkaanse overheid hoog op de agenda. Op de komende landbouwbeurs SIAM is voedselverspilling een belangrijk thema.

For the past year, PepsiCo Egypt has been working to empower Egyptian farmers by supporting them through training programs aimed at providing them with stronger technical know-how and other skills to improve efficiency and productivity.

PepsiCo joins Veris as a major shareholder in Senselet Food Processing Plc in Ethiopia. Senselet, founded in 2015, today has a leading market position in Ethiopia with its SUN Chips brand that is being produced from locally sourced potatoes.

For as long as Monique Vlok can remember, her father, Frans, produced vegetables on rented land near Citrusdal. When the company he worked for was bought out, he took his package and in 2003 cashed in all his investments to buy the farm Valskuil.

The Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) has started testing True Potato Seeds, which are produced by Solynta, a Dutch firm that develops hybrid potatoes. True Potato Seeds are collected from the berries or fruits of the potato plant.

A trade delegation including Western Australian (WA) potato industry leaders toured Egypt in November, confirming the potential to export at least 10,000 tonnes of seed potatoes.

The World Potato Congress is pleased to announce that Mr. Wachira Kaguongo has accepted to become the World Potato Congress Inc.’s (WPC) newest International Advisor.

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.

Egyptian snack manufacturer, Future Foods, has launched a new pretzel range after collaborating with tna, a leading solutions provider in the food processing and packaging industry, to successfully install a seasoning, processing and packaging line.

Rwanda needs about 35,000 tons of quality potato seeds to cover 25 percent of total cultivated land in each growing season. The targeted quantity to fill the existing gap is 60 percent despite persisting challenges.