Biotech Updates

New Sweet Potato Variety Triples Yield in Rwanda

October 17, 2012

A new variety of sweet potato, dubbed as Orange-fleshed Sweet Potato, is reported to have increased farmers' yield from four tons to 12 tons per hectare in Rwanda's Gakenke District. The said variety was developed by the Sweet Potato Action for Security and Health in Africa (SASHA) and the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), acknowledging the significance of the crop in the country.

Responding to the increased output, farmers have appealed to the government to avail more land for them to maximize the crop's production. Rwanda is the third largest consumer of sweet potato in Africa. Authorities suggest that farmers should be encouraged to make the tuber a food crop as well as a cash crop.

For more information, visit http://allafrica.com/stories/201210150087.html.