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Operations
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Po t a t o i s a s t ap l e f ood i n
Honduras, and potato production
represents the primary livelihood
of many of the country's farmers.
Nevertheless, Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) data show that only some
28,600 tons of potatoes are produced
yearly, insufficient by far to satisfy
domestic demand. As a result,
annual potato imports often exceed
16,000 tons, of which 1,326 tons of
seed potatoes are meant for seed
propagation.
The reason f o r t h i s i s t ha t
Honduras has lacked a healthy seed
potato production system for many
years, and seed potatoes needed
by farmers must all be imported
from Guatemala. Such imports are
expensive (representing some 40
percent of the cost of production)
and farmers, in an effort to lower
costs, frequently resort to using
seed potatoes they have saved
from previous planting. However,
the lack of healthy, virus-free seed
potato production techniques and
management skills result in frequent
cross infection by pathogens, causing
domestic crops to be seriously
affected by diseases and pests, and
gravely impacting production quantity
and quality.
A s Ta i wa n h a s e x t e n s i v e
experience in healthy seed potato
reproduction systems and related
quarantine inspection, Honduras
hopes, with our technical assistance,
to create a healthy seed potato
reproduction system along with
the associated disease detection
technologies and systems, so as
to gradually reduce seed potato
imports to lower farmers’ production
costs and raise yields of local fresh
potatoes.
Establishing a Seed Potato
Reproduction Center,
Enhancing Cultivation
Techniques
To help Honduras boost the
domestic potato industr y, the
TaiwanICDF cooperated with the
Honduran Ministry of Agriculture
and Livestock, the Directorate of
Agricultural Science and Technology,
and the National Agricultural Health
Service in implementing this project.
The main contents include:
1. Establishing a seed potato
rep roduc t i on cen t e r i n La
Esperanza, Intibucá,
t o s e r v e a s a
healthy seed potato
p r o d u c t i o n a n d
supply station.
2. Enhancing seed potato
reproduction skills
of technicians and
cultivation techniques
o f s e e d p o t a t o
producers and local
farmers.
3. Adjusting the seasonal
production of seed potatoes
through the introduction of trial
studies and seed collection
groups and management training,
raising production to provide a
stable supply of 650 tons of seed
per quarter.
Since the project’s implementation
on November 19, 2014 to date,
we have completed a seed potato
reproduction center as well as
construction of a greenhouse, net
houses and a laboratory. In addition,
we have assisted the government
of Honduras in establishing a triple-
grade production system for healthy
seed potatoes. Also, asides from
holding training courses and field
trial demonstrations to improve the
capacity of Honduran technicians,
we arranged for them to receive
training at the Council of Agriculture's
Seed Improvement and Propagation
Station in Taiwan.
Key follow-up work will include
the production of healthy potato
mother seedlings, basic seeds,
breeder seeds, and foundation
seeds. Taiwan potato seed experts
will be sent to Honduras
to conduct a review
and offer suggestions
on healthy seed potato
production techniques
and the virus detection
process. It is anticipated
that by the end of the
project, Honduras will
be able to satisfy 75
percent of its healthy
seed potato needs,
raising domestic potato
production capacity and improving
its competitiveness.
650
Quantity of seed potatoes
provided quarterly
Tons
Honduras
Healthy Seed Potato Production Project
1
Case Study