Netherlands contributes $4m towards potato development center in Tanzania
The center will be for the development of the potato industry in the southern Tanzanian town of Mbeya. Senior Government officials signed a manifesto to begin the project during the Tanzania Agribusiness Event in The Hague on May 31st.
The Netherlands is the world leader in the potato sector, with Dutch seed potatoes accounting for 60% of worldwide potato production. While over 500 different varieties of potato are grown in The Netherlands, in Tanzania only four varieties are used and Tanzanian farmers often harvest no more that 7- 8 tons per hectare, well below the 30 tons that could be reached with high-quality seed-potatoes and improved farming techniques.
“This Center can have a great impact on research and training. With this great initiative, the potato business can finally take off,” says Mathew Mtigumwe, Permanent Secretary at the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture.
source: potatobusiness.com
