The National Potato Program’s new variety of seeds could be a game changer that could revitalize potato farming, which remains affected by late blight.
The seeds imported from the International Potato Centre in Peru are proving to be resilient to diseases.
Like in many parts of the country, farmers in all four gewogs of Bumthang are grappling with late blight infestation. The yield doesn’t look promising this year as well.
“We are not expecting a good harvest this year. The tubers are very small and might not be usable for making chips,” Tekpa, a member of Phuntsho Rabten Kewa Detshen, said.
“The potato plants wilted by June and due to premature wilting, the size of the tubers are small, which is not fit for export,” Pema Dradruel, another member, said.
“The affect of the disease is intensifying every year. We will be grateful if concerned agencies could come up with solutions.”
The solution could be the National Potato Program’s new potato varieties. One is called YusiMaap, a red skin potato variety researched and developed at the program’s head office in Yusipang, Thimphu.
The other variety is called Nasephey Kew Kaap, the white skin variety explored at the program’s extension office in Bumthang.
These new varieties are moderately or completely resistant to late blight.
Potatoes grown in the country today are mostly the Desiree variety, which was introduced in the country, almost 30 years ago.
Studies have found a stagnation of potato productivity in the country over the last decade. This is mainly due to degeneration of seed quality.
However, following positive outcomes, the National Potato Program has now distributed the new seed varieties to 13 Dzongkhags.
“The new varieties have micro-nutrients such as iron and zinc in them. Likewise, the YusiMaap yields double of what the Desiree variety yields, while the Nasephey KewaKaap produces three times more,” Tshering Lhaden, the Field Coordinator of the National Potato Program in Bumthang, said.
“Farmers will soon get the new seed varieties and we hope the potato yield and their income will increase significantly.”
The program is also working on producing more varieties of potato seeds. Research on seven varieties has been underway since last year.
“We will soon call 35 to 40 farmers here on a field day and let them select the variety they prefer. So, we are hopeful that we will be able to release another variety by next year,” Tshering Lhaden said.
Today, around 34,000 households in the country cultivate the crop.
According to latest figures available, Bhutan produced 58,000 Metric Tonnes of potatoes in 2016.
