The Irish potato is one of the world’s leading most nutritious foods. With Nigeria having the potential to be one of the world’s leading producers, analysts say a sustained investment in potato can help address the country’s food insecurity.
According to Statista, the area of potatoes harvested globally generally decreased from 2002 to 2020, before it began to rise again in 2021. The harvested area in that year was approximately 18.13 million hectares, an increase of over seven percent compared to the previous year, while as of April 2022, the price of one kilogram of potatoes in the U.S. market amounted to $2.6, while South Korea has the highest market price of $3.5 per kilogram of potatoes.
Out of these 18.13 million hectares, Nigeria harvested 333,000 hectares in 2021 translating into a miserable 3.1 tons per hectares while South Africa with 58,000 hectares has 34 tons per hectares, Egypt with 105 hectares has 24 tons per hectares and Morocco with 60,000 hectares has 26 tons per hectares.
The Nigerian government, alongside development partners including the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and other Relevant Partners, launched the National Potato Strategy (NPS) 2023 -2028. The strategy aims to increase potato production into a commercially viable sub-sector of the Agricultural Value Chains, boost export earnings and achieve Food and Nutrition Security in the Agricultural Sector.
Source: blueprint.ng
