Africa-Press – Lesotho. Lesotho through the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the National University of Lesotho (NUL) through the Department of Agriculture, which aims to promote seed production improved potato with a unique technical application.
The project came into effect from 2008 to 2015 with the aim of building the foundation of a separate potato production center to reduce the production of diseased seed in the early generation.
In an exclusive interview with The Voice of the Nation on Wednesday, Chief Research Officer in the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology Ms Tshepo Mosoka said the country was currently preparing for the second phase of the project but was looking into it.
different farmers except for the Thaba-Tseka Marakabei district, who were selected in the previous phase and from the farmers’ association which specializes in potato seed production that fingerprinted.
He pointed out that to achieve this goal, in-house equipment was procured where aphids were trained and trained technicians to do such work in addition to NUL in the Department of Agriculture in the field of research.
Mosoka explained that once the seed was produced it was passed on to farmers who were prepared to produce it because not all farmers were accustomed to producing such varieties as they had to be handled with care.
“In this project the farmers were selected because in this area the potatoes grow very well,” he said.
He directly pointed out that his department was not involved in the operation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security as it was responsible but in this production to support the project through the use of technology.
“This excellent project has been successfully implemented in partnership with farmers as farmers in the country often import this seed from most other countries in South Africa.
The recommendation is that the Basotho people should continue with this project because it will provide many benefits as even the countries that support us financially are interested. He will help us not to import these disease-free seeds at high cost from other countries as we will be producing them as Basotho, ”Mosoka said.
He described this as an opportunity for growing farmers, and encouraged them to get involved in potato production as it was a great potential for economic growth through this production.
Mosoka concludes by pointing out that many countries need quality potatoes and the country seems to be in a position to export to other countries as it is a high quality potato variety. they are foreign countries.
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