Rwanda scientists conducting field trials on new resilient, high yielding potato varieties poised to up farmers’ production

In a bit to boost the country’s potato production, scientists at Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) are currently conducting field trials on some two new potato varieties resilient to hot conditions and can yield up to 25-40 tonnes per hectare.

The new varieties, ‘cyerekezo’ and ‘twihaze’, being tested in the country’s Eastern Province have demonstrated high adaptability in hot regions and are suitable for irrigated land. The region has recorded irrigation on 42,218 hectares of land.

According to Theophile Ndacyayisenga, a potato scientist at RAB, the new initiative aligns with the goal of expanding cultivated land as the country aims to reach 63,328 ha of Irish potato for the 2024 Season A.

There are also plans to expand the cultivation of the crop into new areas of the Eastern Province and other regions across the country.

“We are encouraging potato cultivation in the Eastern Province in response to the decline in arable land for farming in certain regions of the country,” Ndacyayisenga said.

Potatoes are primarily grown in volcanic regions, including Nyabihu, Rubavu, Musanze, and Burera districts, as well as in parts of the Southern Province in Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru districts.

Florence Uwamahoro, Deputy Director General of Agriculture at RAB, envisions extending the cultivation of Irish potatoes not only in the Eastern Province but also across new areas in the country.

“We are promoting potato farming in the Eastern Province as a response to land declination for farming in some parts of the country,” Uwamahoro said.

The focus of these trials revolves around identifying potato varieties that are not only compatible with local climatic conditions and soil types, but also resistant to diseases and pests.

“Until now, the varieties under trial are promising even though the Eastern Province faces drought due to the hot climate. We are looking for good varieties to be grown here as priority crops since the area has a lot of land, which is not under pressure.”

RAB is also putting more efforts in Southern Province, especially Nyaruguru and Nyamagabe, to increase their production as well.

Residents of Nyagatare report that the region continues to struggle to obtain potatoes, given the high prices in the market.

Recent data from the Rwanda National Institute of Statistics (NISR) shows that the cultivated land for Irish potatoes was estimated at 48,210 hectares, compared to 52,858 ha in the previous Season B, indicating a nine percent reduction.

The findings could play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s economy, given that potatoes are a staple crop and a vital part of the local diet.