Farmers get 7m potato seed, sweet potato vines
THE country’s high-tech agricultural research hub, Kutsaga, last year distributed at least three million Irish potato plantlets and over four million sweet potato vines to farmers countrywide.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes serve as ideal supplements to maize meal and sorghum, particularly during dry seasons when yields might be lower.
With experts describing the 2023-24 summer cropping as “short and sharp”, due to the El Niño weather phenomenon, authorities have encouraged farmers to embrace traditional grains like sorghum, finger millet and pearl millet.
However, agricultural experts see merit in further diversifying crop choices.
Kutsaga chief executive officer Dr Frank Magama said the institute has a state-ofthe-art plant tissue culture laboratory that can hold up to one million plantlets at one go, ensuring unhindered supply of disease-free seedlings and vines all year round.
“So far, Kutsaga has distributed over four million seedlings to all provinces in Zimbabwe, fuelling a sweet potato revolution that will ensure food security and nutrition while increasing household incomes by producing feedstocks for local food processing. These seedlings are being distributed to community gardens through the Presidential Rural Development Programme,” said Dr Magama.
Sweet potatoes, he said, thrive even in seasons where rainfall is minimal.
“Therefore, for an unpredictable season like this one, sweet potatoes are recommended. Farmers are encouraged to take advantage of the current rains to establish the crop,” he added.
The institute is also selling vines at subsidised prices to farmers who are not contracted under the scheme.
For Irish potatoes, he said, Kutsaga is supplying virus-free plantlets and certified disease-free mini-tubers.
“For 2023, we produced over three million Irish potato plantlets and tubers,” Dr Magama said.
“This high-quality seed is then multiplied through outgrower schemes to produce seed for table potato production.
“Kutsaga has engaged local farmers for the outgrower scheme to multiply the seed in line with the President’s mantra,‘Leaving no one and no place behind’, which will ultimately reduce the country’s import bill.”
Zimbabwe recently suspended imports of potatoes and related agricultural products that are hosts to the pepper ringspot virus (PepRSV) following its detection in South Africa.
Kutsaga head of seed production division Mrs Christina Chisango said: “As the Government enforces the ban on imported seed potatoes, Kutsaga’s dedication to providing high-quality seed potatoes becomes even more important.
“Growers who are interested in joining the seed potato outgrower scheme will need to apply and undergo an assessment to determine if they have adequate and suitable lands, water for irrigation, equipment and post-harvest facilities.”