News on Food Trends from Africa

Willie Jacobs took over the leadership of Potatoes Potatoes South Africa (PSA) as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) after Dr. André Jooste, who as part of his career planning, left the organization after 9 years.

Among the 152 isolates collected from symptomatic potato plants and tubers in different provinces in Algeria, 13 species of Fusarium and Neocosmospora were identified.

The Nakuru County Government has announced that implementation of the potato regulations including the 50kg packaging rule is in force and must be adhered to immediately.

Imagine being a potato farmer in Ethiopia, Kenya, or Nigeria. On a small piece of land, which you depend on for food and income, you have spent months planting, weeding, and watering.

A Rwandan entrepreneur is pioneering the use of innovative farming technology that, he believes, is set to play a major role in feeding the growing population in his country, amid increasing pressure on arable land.

Key Technology, Inc. and Heat and Control Pty Ltd. announce an extension of their existing strategic partnership, supporting customers in Australia, New Zealand and India, to now include the region of South Africa and Sub-Saharan.

Dr. André Jooste, an agricultural economist who joined Potatoes South Africa eight years ago as chief executive officer, is leaving the organization at the end of the month for personal reasons.

A new experience for both Kiremko and Morrocan potato processor Fun Fries; the French fry line that was installed last summer was started up entirely remotely using augmented reality.

Since mid-June, potato prices have been on average 46% higher than in the same period last year. In four months, the average market price of a 10kg
bag has rocketed from below R35 to R83.

The World Potato Congress is pleased to be beginning its Fall webinar series on November 12, 2020, with Professor Jacquie van der Waals from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

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.

A first pilot using True Potato Seed (TPS) in Angonia District, Tete province in Mozambique, conducted by Solidaridad and Solynta shows great potential to drastically improve and innovate potato production in Mozambique.

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.

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.

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.

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.

During his presentation at the official opening of the 11th African Potato Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, World Potato Congress President Romain Cools announced the continuous effort of his organization to be a partner of the African potato sector.

Potato organizations on Monday called for deliberate efforts to increase potato and sweet potatoes production for sustainable nutritious food systems in Africa.