Project Coordinator Of Potato Value Chain Fingers Early Rainfalls, Late Blight Disease In Low Yield

Yakubu Busari

The Project Coordinator for the Potato Value Chain Support Project, Thomas Muopshin, debunked insinuation peddling by Irish-Potato farmers in Plateau state over poor yield and late blight disease that leading to farmers recording lower production in Vom , Jos South LGA, and its environs.

Moupshin in an interview with our correspondent at Plateau Agriculture Development Programme ,PADP, Dogon Dutse , Jos North LGA .

He said that the viability of the tuber crop is evident in nine local government areas of Plateau, Bokkos, and Mangu LGAs are the state’s potato hub. They produce more potatoes than any LGA in the country.

According to him, Plateau State is Nigeria’s number one grower of Irish potato with the tuber currently produced in nine Local Government Areas out of the  17 local government areas.

Thomas disclosed that the Potato Value Chain Support Project of the African Development Bank (AfDB) initiative pegs Plateau as accounting for 90 percent of the potato production in the country with countries like Chad, Ghana, Niger, and Benin among others receiving large supplies of potato from Nigeria.

He revealed that Nigeria became the fourth biggest producer in sub-Saharan Africa, Muopshin, said adaptability research in Mangu when completed will address the hot weather and late blight infected plan which can place the state as equally viable in potato production quality.

Thomas pointed out that plans are underway in making all of Plateau’s 17 LGA potential farmers of potato producers if Mangu research finishes the edifice which recent windstorms destroy part of the structure so soon kick start the dry season.

However, we have commenced the construction of dams across the state in Wase, Barkin Ladi , Mangu, and road networks, also decried the high cost of fertilizers and other farming inputs continue which has posed a major setback in the production of sufficient potatoes for the nation and for export.

Other challenges contributing to low yields and harvest losses to the potato value chain include diseases such as late blight and bacterial wilt as well as poor seedlings.

The Project Coordinator in Plateau said the state is among the poorest states in Nigeria with an over 70% poverty rate. But the state, however, has a comparative advantage to boost economic activities by improving the competitiveness of the potato commodity value chain when program was introduced in 2002 the state requested it during FADAMA 111.

Thomas says, with the construction of more dams and boreholes for irrigation might lead to mass production of potatoes. “If the water is not sufficient for the crop, it would dry and eventually die and that is why some farmers who have the resources prefer to dig boreholes in Mangu purposely for irrigation because, without it, dry season farming becomes difficult,”.

According to him,”With Plateau State’s potato production jumping from 1,656,650 metric tons in 2017 to 2,359,890 metric tons in 2020, and in 2022 recorded lowest the Potato Value Chain Support Project and the construction of the tissue culture lab are expected to improve the tripling of production to over seven million metric tons.

Moupshin told medium that the state is expected to commence production of six million metric tons of potato annually after the tissue culture lab is completed at the end of 2023 but expressed optimism that production could exceed seven million metric tons.

Thomas Moupshin disclosed that challenges faced by farmers especially those of fertilizer as well as more dams and road networks are expected to properly apply potato farming regulations to achieve the expected target.

Thomas harped on the tissue culture lab, which is intended to improve potato yields in the state by providing clean seed which is resistant to pests and other potato-related diseases, is expected to be completed soon.

He said the advent of the lab would certainly improve income for farmers and revenue for the state government while also aiding food security efforts in the country.

He noted that the tissue lab, if fully equipped, would largely reduce the cost of treatment for the crops when they were affected by any disease. They also hope that better quality seeds would be available at an affordable price.

He explained further that the Lalong administration came in with an agricultural revolutionary policy and tackle the present climate change which had to continue to affect post-harvest loss to our farmers and the challenges of storage, processing, and marketing.

He maintained that the rural cottages industries stand to benefit tremendously from the project while it would make agriculture attractive to encourage youth participation in farming activities.

Thomas Moupshin commended the ADB and Governor Simon Lalong for paying the counterpart funds for the farmers to also improve their productivity, create employment opportunities and stimulate climate change which is beginning to ravage our farms.

He said the focus is to look into diseases that affect yield and bring in improved control variety with low moisture because of the shortest of rainfalls that reduce farmers’ turnover.

The state Coordinator Tomas Moupship says one of the major challenges of farmers is lack of storehouse, preservation, and disease control which some have been completed and put to use.

He said Plateau state is one of the states that enjoy 95 percent of potato production in the country and in the last five years potato farming communities were complaining of the devastating effect of the outbreak of disease.