Farmers from the province of Serua and Namosi have undertaken a one day training program organised by the Ministry of Agriculture on how to implement correct practices in order to maximise potato farming.
The training program which was held at the Navua Agriculture office aimed to enhance the potato industry in Fiji.
Senior Agriculture Officer, Mohammed Kadir Khan says the training was conducted to up skill the farmers in the provinces of Serua and Namosi so they can re‑look at the way they do potato planting in order to maximize their yield.
He adds that during the training the farmers were informed about potato cultivation and management practices, economic pests of potato, pre and post‑harvest management and proper seed selection.
Khan has encouraged farmers to engage in potato farming so that hopefully production could increase to nine tons per hectare from the current average of seven tons per hectare.
A Farmer Joseva Boseiwaqa who was part of the training programs says that the training has given him a different insight on the commodity and hopes to achieve a higher yield.
Similar potato training will be held in the Western, Central and Northern Divisions and in Levuka by Agricultural Officers who had undergone technical training on potato cultivation cycle at the National Agricultural Research Institute in Papua New Guinea.
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