Irish potato helps boost crop in African nations

IRELAND is very well known to Tanzanian farmers, and to farmers throughout Africa, because it gives its name to an increasingly important crop.

In several countries, the fast expanding potato crop is known as the Irish potato. It is associated with Irish missionaries — although people from many countries brought the crop to Africa — and Ireland is well known as a breeder of successful potato varieties.

African potato production has expanded from two million tonnes in 1960 to 16.7m tonnes in 2007.