Rwanda is preparing farmers to multiply six biotech cassava varieties and two Irish potato varieties that have been recommended for release, pending publication in the Official Gazette.
According to the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA), all eight varieties have completed administrative processing and technical assessments and received recommendations from the Crop Variety Release Committee.
Athanase Nduwumuremyi, Coordinator of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) Rwanda, said the remaining steps involve legal review and gazetting.
Meanwhile, the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) has begun multiplying the varieties and working with selected farmers to assess their performance before wider distribution.
Farmer participatory variety selection has already started for potatoes, with model farmers selected from growing regions. Some will serve as seed multipliers once the varieties receive final approval, increasing the availability of planting material.
Biotech maize varieties are also under development but remain at the trial stage.
The biotech crop programme aims to address cultivation constraints associated with pests and diseases, including cassava brown streak disease, potato late blight and fall armyworm, which affect crop yields and farm incomes.
Source: newtimes.co.rw
