News on Potato Varieties and Seed from Africa

Rwanda is now a key hub for seed potato trade in the Great Lakes Region, thanks to farmer-led innovations, Africa’s largest minituber facility, a national seed catalogue, and efforts toward regional integration and formal cross-border seed markets.

Kenya will host the 13th World Potato Congress in October/November 2026, following a venue change from Poland. Led by NPCK and supported by key partners, the event aims to spotlight potatoes' role in food security and economic growth.

Potato farmers have urged the government to put more effort into producing certified seed. They have said what is available in the market is costly and inaccessible to most small-scale farmers.

The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resource Development Board (RAB) is conducting trials on new potato varieties that require no fungicide spraying

Egypt's fresh potato exports are seeing strong growth, driven by rising demand from Russia, Asia, and the UK. This highlights Egypt's production strength and global market position.

International Food and Consumable Goods-Egypt, a trusted co-manufacturer, continues to deliver high-quality private-label sweet potato products tailored to brand-specific requirements. With extensive industry experience, the company ensures consistent quality and reliable delivery, meeting the evolving needs of businesses worldwide.

As of 2024, the global refugee population has surged to 43.4 million, a significant increase from 41 million in 2010! Uganda, now hosting over 1.74 million refugees, has emerged as Africa’s largest and the world’s fifth-largest refugee host nation.

Solynta's potato varieties with high resistances against Late Blight provide Kenyan farmers with good yields, as demonstrated in a comparative field test during an extensive spray/no spray trial in Limuru, Kenya.

The variety release committee of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) has recently announced that three of Solynta’s hybrid true potato varieties have been approved for distribution in Kenya.

Bayer and Solynta have reached an agreement to collaborate on the commercialization and distribution of true potato seeds in Kenya and India.

The lack of quality seed for improved varieties has been attributed to the limited capacity of seed multipliers to produce enough to meet farmer’s demands.

The outbreak of the Red Sea crisis has taken its toll on many Egyptian export campaigns - citrus fruits being the first casualty - but it seems that the potato export campaign is holding up well. 

To combat hunger and malnutrition, the World Food Program (WFP) and the International Potato Center (CIP) have extended their partnership for a further four years with a new memorandum of understanding (MOU)

By signing the distribution agreement with Fraxen Consult Ltd, Agrico seed potatoes will be exported to small-scale farmers in Tanzania later this year.

The Genetically Modified (GM) Potato Project ongoing in Nigeria has concluded its first-year multi-locational confined trial in three locations

Potato farming in Namibia is an important occupation for the country’s food security and economic development.

Morocco, as one of the leading global suppliers of fruits and vegetables, is increasing its exports of fruit and vegetable products, but this is not the case for the Moroccan fresh potato exports.

Seven years ago, Chris and Ashley Gasperi planted four acres of potatoes on their idle land in Kenya.