Timothy Kipsang, a farmer from Kipkabus in Uasin Gishu County, has been growing potatoes on his farm for more than a decade. Like most farmers, he has to contend with the destructive late blight disease and other diseases that lead to crop losses.
“Potato is a sensitive crop on nutrition and imbalance and thus a farmer has to be on the lookout. With good farm practices, you can harvest 80 to 100 bags per acre, but you may end up losing the entire crop to blight,” he says, noting that he has had to apply agro-chemicals every week to control the disease at the flowering stage.
But there is good news.
Researchers have developed a genetically modified potato variety that promises to increase farmers’ yields and tackle pests and diseases.
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The researchers working on a biotech potato project dubbed ‘Global Biotech Potato Partnership’ are upbeat on releasing the potato variety that is free from the blight disease.
The project has conducted confined field trials in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria with promising results. The trials began last year in May after getting a nod from the National Biosafety Authority.
