Dutch specialists help Myanmar boost potato production
A Dutch enterprise agency began helping farmers in 2014, and a Dutch potato consortium assisted from 2012 to 2015. More than 300 farmers from Hopong and Heho townships have attended training courses through the organizations.
The payoff could be sizeable. Shan State is one of the biggest potato-growing regions in the country. According to official statistics, there are more than 90,000 acres of potato fields in Myanmar. More than half are in Shan State in the southern part.
Aung Than Kyaw, who cultivates his own fields and is the chairman of the Potato Farmers Association, said he benefitted from the training.
“I now understand how to choose appropriate potato seeds and systematic seed methods could reduce the production costs.”
Khun San Oo, the Secretary of the Potato Farmers Association in Naung Ta Yar, explained the differences in approach, “In the traditional method, the distance between each row of potato plants is around 18 to 20 inches, while in the modern technique it is around 20 to 30 inches, saving more seeds but allowing for more potato yield.”
source: potatopro.com
