Agency aims for efficient seeds

THE CORE function of Fresh Produce Development Agency’s elite seed potato programme is to ensure sufficient volumes of quality elite seed potato are made available to private certified seed growers, according to FPDA’s 2016 annual report released earlier this month.
The report said FPDA did this because of low private sector involvement, compared to ware potato production.
The programme has three components:

• Tissue culture production under a commercial arrangement with National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) at the Aiyura tissue culture laboratory in Eastern Highlands;
• Mini-tuber production in the 24 aphid-proof screen houses at FPDA seed potato multiplication centre in Tambul, Western Highlands; and
• Elite seed production at field level under partnership arrangement with private elite seed potato outgrowers across Eastern Highlands, Jiwaka, Southern Highlands and Enga.

“The outgrower scheme was developed to sustain elite seed potato production because the land in Tambul, which was used for production of elite seeds, is contaminated with bacterial wilt,” the report said.
“The process of producing table potato from tissue culture plantlet in the laboratory takes about five years.
“It therefore, is important for the elite seed potato production, and especially the inspection and certification services to be stringent in maintaining clean seeds for consistency in supply of seed and eventually ware potato to consumers.”