A non-governmental organisation known as Solidaridad supported by the government of the Netherlands has flagged off distribution of seedlings to 4,000 potato farmers for this year’s farming season in Bokkos and Mangu local government area of Plateau State.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang who was represented by the permanent secretary in the state ministry of agriculture, Esther Pwaspo during the project launch in Jos, said the state government was determined to improve agric business in order to boost massive production of potatoes for export.
Mutfwang who outlined insecurity, potato blight as well as preservation and processing as the major challenges in the cultivation of the product, said the intervention of Solidaridad would save potato farmers from low yield.
The governor said following the outbreak of potato blight in the state in 2022, government had succeeded in releasing four varieties of blight resistance, adding that with this success, the 17 local government areas of the state would benefit in the cultivation of potatoes in the near future.
He commended Solidaridad for the programme which he described as timely, adding that the state government would act now for everything to turn green in the state.
Program manager of Solidaridad, Kene Onukwube, said the organisation promotes sustainable supply chains of various commodities.
