‘Private, public partnerships needed for potato sector growth’

Chief Executive, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Dr Olufemi Oladunni, maintained that public–private collaboration would help foster a more productive and progressive agriculture sector.

According to him, there is a need for government to work with the private sector to accelerate the development of local potato farming communities by increasing annual yields and scaling up productivity.

He pointed out that such collaborative efforts should aim to enhance the competitiveness of the local potato industry.

He said: “I am confident a partnership will help bring prosperity to agriculture and bring about the development of a competitive potato industry in the country.”

Globally, potato production is nearing 400 million tonnes, with large volumes concentrated in key producing countries. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) expects global output to exceed 390.4 million tonnes.

The International Potato Center (CIP), in partnership with national research institutions and supported by the Gates Foundation, has launched a multi-country initiative to validate high-potential sweetpotato varieties for large-scale deployment across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The project was introduced at an inception meeting held in January in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together breeders, scientists and development partners from Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.

The initiative aligns breeding efforts with farmer preferences, nutritional needs and market demand, targeting key agroecological zones, including drought- and heat-prone areas, high virus-pressure regions and the savanna–Sahelian belt covering over three million hectares. Rather than early-stage breeding, the project focuses on Advanced Yield Trials (AYTs) and On-Farm Variety Trials (OFVTs) using Tricot technology.

Trials across the five countries will enable hundreds of farmers, including women, to compare selected candidate varieties under real production conditions. The varieties will be assessed for yield, maturity, resilience and culinary qualities, supported by consumer preference tests, sensory analysis and laboratory evaluations. Several breakthrough candidates from previous breeding investments are now entering final validation. In Uganda, Mozambique and Nigeria, some varieties have demonstrated higher yields than commonly grown types, alongside strong dry matter content and positive consumer feedback. These candidates will undergo national performance trials, DUS testing and registration, with at least three expected to be released during the project period.

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The project also emphasises collaboration between CIP and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) to strengthen breeding networks, harmonise data collection and expand digital tools for evidence-based decision-making. Demonstration plots and partnerships with extension services, community organisations and scaling agents are expected to drive visibility, demand and adoption.

In Nigeria, orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) is now embedded in multiple value chains, including fresh markets, processing and urban street food systems, and has grown into a multi-billion-naira industry contributing significantly to livelihoods and the national economy. The new project builds on this foundation by introducing improved varieties with higher yields and better quality traits.