Zimbabwe: Potato growers fed up with high cost of seeds

Published 2020년 6월 16일

Tridge summary

The article highlights the financial challenges faced by potato farmers in Rwanda due to the high cost of potato seeds and the low yield per kilogramme of potato produced for consumption. The Rwanda Agriculture Board reports that two tonnes of seeds are required per hectare, leading to an investment of around Rwf1.4 million. According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, the production cost per hectare is approximately Rwf1.6 million, leaving the farmer with insufficient profits. Vincent Havugimana, the President of the Federation of Irish Potato farmers' cooperatives in Rwanda, has called for increased production and availability of seeds, advocating for the multiplication of new, more productive potato varieties.

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Original content

If a kilogramme of potato seeds is Rwf700, a farmer has to invest about Rwf1.4 million per a hectare because an estimated 2,000 kilogrammes (two tonnes) of the seeds are needed per a hectare, according to data from the Rwanda Agriculture Board. Yet, a kilogramme of potato produces [for consumption] is usually around Rwf200. Figures from the Seasonal Agricultural Survey - 2020 Season A by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda show that eight tonnes of potatoes were produced per hectare. That would make about Rwf1.6 million. If production costs including fertilizers, labor force, as well as pesticides and fungicides are factored in, too little is left for the farmer to benefit. Speaking to The New Times, Vincent Havugimana, the President of the Federation of Irish Potato farmers' cooperatives in Rwanda said that the shortage of potato seeds is a concern for farmers and it needs to be addressed. “There has been a shortage of potato seeds, with a kilogramme costing Rwf700 ...

Source: Argenpapa