The Vice President of Ecuador, Jorge Glas, visited the greenhouse production of certified potato seeds of the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP), located in the campus of the Polytechnic School of the Army.
The aim of the project is that potato producers get a healthy product that is resistant to pests and diseases and that has a high performance and quality. In this framework, the vice president said that they expected to cover 30% of the total hectares under potato cultivation nationwide by 2017. "We have invested nearly four million dollars in this infrastructure. We can produce more than 20 metric tons per hectare by using certified seeds," he said.
In turn, the executive director of the Iniap, Juan Manuel Dominguez, said that Ecuador would continue to support farmers with new technologies in order "to contribute to regional development, increase productivity and reduce poverty."
The project focuses on improving the seed of the Super Chola, Puca-Shungo, Yana-Shungo, Fripapa and Victoria potato varieties. Expectations are that this will improve the producers’ returns by $500 to $1,000 dollars per hectare. The Libertad variety has been available for the past three months and it has been well accepted by fast food chains. Producers interested in obtaining the certified seed may do it through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.
Source: elproductor.com