Since 1998, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) has focused on potato breeding, a crucial yet underappreciated aspect of Ethiopia's agriculture. Despite the significant number of Ethiopians facing hunger, potatoes have historically received minimal government investment. However, the crop's cultivation area has seen a substantial increase, expanding over ten times in the last half-century. The East African Potato Breeding Network, which includes Atsede as a member, seeks to enhance breeding efficiency through collaboration among national programs, and sharing resources and expertise.
Atsede highlights the transformation from isolated breeding programs to a unified network approach, emphasizing cost savings, germplasm, and skill exchange, and accelerated breeding processes. This collaboration allows for rapid adaptation to market changes, developing varieties that meet regional demands. In Ethiopia, potatoes serve as a critical food and cash crop for over 5 million smallholder farmers, playing a key role during the "hunger gap." Despite its importance, government support for potatoes and other horticultural crops has been limited.
Participation in the breeding network addresses challenges by fostering capacity building and knowledge exchange across East Africa. The shift towards potato cultivation is evident, with the area increasing to 335,000 hectares from 30,000 hectares in the 1970s. The focus is now on developing varieties with higher yields, resistance to late blight, improved taste, and suitability for processing. Efforts also include breeding biofortified varieties with enhanced iron and zinc content, benefiting smallholders' nutritional needs.
Source: CIP