Biotech Updates

Workshop on Potato Breeding Concludes in Bukittinggi, Indonesia

July 25, 2013

A Workshop on The Role of Biotechnology in Potato Breeding and its Regulations in Indonesia for farmers and government officials was conducted for the first time in Kota Bukittinggi on 04 July 2013. The topics covered by the speakers from ICABIOGRAD include: potato variety improvement through conventional breeding by Dr. Edy Listanto; biotechnology applications in potato trait improvement by Dr. Dinar Ambarwati; and biotechnology products and its regulations in Indonesia by Prof. M. Herman.

Ir. Melwizardi, Msi, head of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Kota Bukittinggi, expressed his enthusiasm towards the cooperation between DA and Indonesia Biotechnology Center (IndoBIC) in conducting workshop and training for the farmers and government officials in the area. He said that potato is being planted extensively in Kota Bukittinggi and east Agam and farmers are facing problems of disease and post-harvest losses, which can be solved by new technologies.

The farmer participants learned the applications of biotechnology in potato as well as new cultivation techniques which they can use in their farmers to increase potato yield and income. They are hoping that biotech crops especially biotech potato could be commercialized in the near future in Indonesia. The workshop brought together 50 farmers and agricultural officials from Kota Bukittinggi and Kabupaten Agam through the support of the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project (ABSP II) in collaboration with IndoBIC and ICABIOGRAD, ISAAA, and SEAMEO BIOTROP.

Contact Ms. Dewi Suryani of IndoBIC at cattleyavanda@gmail.com for details on the workshop and biotechnology status in Indonesia.