The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, through the National Service of Agrarian Health (Senasa), distributed certified potato seeds, of the Serranita and Amarilis varieties, at the start of the potato cultivation season in the region of Cajamarca.
The beneficiaries belong to the village of Animas Alto, in the province of Chota, Cajamarca. A few weeks ago they also received certified seeds of the Liberteña and Yungay varieties in the Farmer Field Schools (FFS).
The seeds distributed to farmers for the 2016-2017 potato campaign are resistant to the late blight disease.
Cesar Vega Reaño, head of Senasa - Cajamarca Plant Health, stated that the culture period will last approximately 6 months, so it was necessary that farmers look after their learning plots to fulfill the objectives of the FFS.
For this campaign, the province of Chota expects to produce more than 12,000 kilograms of potatoes per hectare, said the specialist, adding that the farmers would receive further training.
Vega said the province of Cutervo, which produced 20,000 kilograms of potatoes per hectare each season, produced the largest quantity of potatoes in Cajamarca.
"We expect farmers to apply their knowledge of integrated pest management so that they can achieve a disease-free production without the use of pesticides," said the specialist.
He also said the Senasa was closely following up the potato crop in this region, assisting producers in each crop year.
Source: andina.com.pe