Correct potato farmers within the Higher East Area will quickly heave a sigh of aid, following the event of latest and improved high-yielding varieties by the Savannah Agricultural Analysis Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Analysis (CSIR-SARI).
In accordance with the CSIR-SARI, Manga station within the Bawku Municipality, correct potato farmers have usually relied on poor yielding seeds for manufacturing leading to low productiveness thus their incapacity to fulfill the growing market demand for the crop.
It’s in opposition to the backdrop that, CSIR-SARI with assist from the Govt Director of the West African Centre for Crop Enchancment (WACCI) of the College of Ghana, Professor Eric Danquah, has developed 12 improved and new correct potato varieties to reinforce meals safety and enhance family revenue of farmers.
Chatting with Citi Information throughout a discipline evaluation of the varieties by over 200 farmers, Performing Director of CSIR-SARI, Manga station, Dr. Francis Kusi, mentioned, the brand new vegetative propagated varieties will function recreation changers as farmers will not require seeds for correct potato manufacturing.
“Correct potato is among the unutilized crops within the north which has crop safety significance, however the farmers should not capable of produce the portions that they want for consumption as a consequence of lack of high quality planting supplies. However via our analysis, we’ve developed a expertise whereby, by chopping the stem of the right potato, farmers can set up the crop on a number of acres or hectares”.
“We now have introduced over 200 farmers by legislation to this discipline demonstration farms to evaluate the efficiency of the 12 varieties and choose their greatest 5 (5) varieties earlier than we (CSIR-SARI) current our greatest 5 (5) to the nationwide selection launch and registration committee subsequent for consideration and subsequent launch”.
Mrs. Ayishetu Fuseini, a correct potato farmer mentioned, “We now have seen how these correct potatoes are cultivated via propagation, not like the seeds we use to domesticate them.”
“We now have learnt that, the propagation methodology can set up extra potato on massive acres than the seeds we will, and we all know if we adapt the expertise we’ll get excessive yields for our consumption and in addition promote some to cater for our households”.
One other farmer, Iddrisu Ayaaba, expressed gratitude that the improved and new correct potato varieties when launched won’t solely tackle the poor yields related to the utilization of seeds however will enhance their yields for native consumption and improve their revenue.
The 12 improved and new correct potato varieties had been developed by Dr. Francis Kusi and the coordinator of the right potato programme on the College of Ghana, Dr. Ammisah Naa-Lamle.
