Potato News from Africa

Social impact investor and project developer AGDEVCO has invested in a US$4.5 million partnership with Saise Farming Enterprises Limited (SFEL) to produce potato seed for smallholder farmers in Northern Province of Zambia.

Potato farmers in Nyabihu district in Rwanda are at crossroads after a factory recently built in their region has failed to buy all their potatoes.

In South Africa, Famous Brands has acquired 100% of the business of Lamberts Bay Foods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Oceana Group Limited (Oceana) manufacturing frozen french fries.

Farmers of Irish potatoes in Rwanda are decrying not only the shortage of quality seeds but also the mounting prices.

Pascal Murasira, co-founder and managing partner of Rwanda-based Hollanda FairFoods, tells about the opportunities and challenges for his company that manufactures potato chips under the brand name Winnaz.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) potato value chain project that will boost potato farming will commence in the State Plateau (Nigeria) soon.

Algerian snack manufacturer Maravilla increased production capacity by 25 per cent by installing high performance customised solutions from tna

Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fishing Sid Ahmed Ferroukhi stressed Thursday in Algiers that potato exports will continue during the three upcoming years to reach 70,000 tons.

Potato tubers are affected by a number of blemishes, which can cause severe economic losses. This 'Focus on Potato' presentation by Jacquie van der Waals, Professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa can serve as a guide for growers and others in the potato industry to help with identification of these blemishes.

The fast expansion of cities and towns and the popularity of fast foods have created a rapidly increasing demand for potatoes in Kenya.

In Rwanda a new potato processing plant was opened, with the capacity to produce four potato products; chips, french fries, whole peeled potato, and whole cleaned potatoes for sale to super markets and schools.

You can now join the East Africa Potato Value Chain Knowledge Sharing Portal, which aims to address the scientific and technological divide in the field of agricultural value-chain innovations by enabling East African research organizations to create, update and use scientific knowledge and technological innovations.

Researchers from the University of Nairobi, the International Potato Centre (CIP) and others ave started a pilot project in Tanzania, where a drone was able to pinpoint 14 different varieties of sweet potatoes in Ukiriguru Research Institute in Mwanza.

An unidentified agricultural company from the Netherlands will support farmers in large scale potato production in the irrigated area of ​​Matala, in Angola’s Huila province.

The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) partially upheld Simba’s complaint against Krunch potato chips

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.

In Uganda, a series of field trials began in 2015 to assess whether twelve highly resistant GM plants of the ‘Desiree’ and local ‘Victoria’ variety provided by the International Potato Center CIP offer a durable resistance to late blight

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.