Serua, Namosi Farmers Urged To Increase Potato Farming
The Ministry of Agriculture as part of its outreach to farmers conducted a training for farmers from the provinces of Serua and Namosi on the implementation of correct husbandry practices in the cultivation of potatoes in order to maximise its production.
Senior agriculture officer (potato) Mohammed Kadir Khan said the training would assist and further faciliatate rural development.
“The training is conducted to capacitate and to upskill our farmers in the provinces of Serua and Namosi so they can re-look at the way they do potato planting over the years in order to maximise their yield,” he said.
“The maximum yield that will be produced which will contribute to import reduction will also increase profitability in their family income.”
Farmers were informed about potato cultivation and management practices, economic pests of potato, pre and post-harvest management and proper seed selection.
With the current potato import bill standing at 27 million tonnes, a reduction from 30 million tonnes, Mr Khan urged farmers to continue with the farming of the commodity to meet the local market demand.
“Potato production worldwide fluctuates that is why prices in supermarkets continue to fluctuate.
“I encourage you, farmers, to engage in potato farming, make use of resource participants and engage yourselves to generate a living, hopefully, we can increase production to 9 tons per hectare from the current average of seven tonnes per hectare,” he said.
Farmer Joseva Boseiwaqa said the training has given him a different insight on the commodity and hopes to achieve a higher yield.
“It is one of the introduced commodities and with the training we received, we are able to distinguish things and although it needs attention, following what has been taught it can produce a favourable outcome,” he said.
Similar potato training will be held in the Western, Central and Northern Divisions and in Levuka by agricultural officers who had undergone technical training on the potato cultivation cycle at the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) in Papua New Guinea.
Source: DEPTFO News
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