Purpose of the Course

ZEROHUNGER Consulting strongly believes that the Global South, especially Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), has the potential to increase its potato production significantly. A comprehensive study conducted by potato experts in ten SSA countries revealed that potato farmers across SSA could boost their current annual production of 10.8 million metric tons by 140% with access to high-quality seeds and improved management practices (Harahagazwe et al., 2018). The same study found a farmers’ yield gap of 24 t/ha (i.e., research yield minus farmer’s yield). With current yields at 10 t/ha, this means that what farmers lose is greater than what they harvest. Hence, this course addresses the factors causing the potato yield gap in the Global South, focusing on increasing productivity rather than expanding acreage.

Target Audience

Depending on the client’s preference, this course is available online (Zoom platform) and in-person. It is offered in English or French and caters to various potato stakeholders:

• Potato producers
• Extension agents
• Trainers from vocational training schools/centers
• Project and program officers (Government, NGOs, etc.)

Terms and conditions

We reserve the right to modify the timetable listed above. This means we may need to cancel or
postpone a training session for various reasons, including the last-minute unavailability of
facilitators and an insufficient number of participants. Registered participants will be promptly
notified and reimbursed if necessary if this occurs.

Participants are expected to have good and fast internet access to prevent disconnections
during the course. ZeroHunger Consulting is not responsible for any disruptions at the
participant’s end.

The training will be conducted in English or French; no translation will be available during the
course.

References

• Harahagazwe, D., Condori, B., Barreda, C., Bararyenya, A., Byarugaba, A. A., Kude, D. A.,
  Lung’aho, C., Martinho, C., Mbiri, D., Nasona, B., Ochieng, B., Onditi, J.,
  Randrianaivoarivony, J. M., Tankou, C. M., Worku, A., Schulte-Geldermann, E., Mares,
  V., Mendiburu, F. de, & Quiroz, R. Q. (2018). How big is the potato (Solanum tuberosum
  L.) yield gap in Sub-Saharan Africa and why? A participatory approach. 3(1), 180–189.
  https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2018-0019
• Harahagazwe, D., Parker, M., Carli, C., Fornkwa, V., Mafouo, H., Anagho, R., Schwedes, S.,
  Sossou, L., Meertens, B., Kongyu, F., Kouyem, G., & Ouokam, E. (2020). Good
  agricultural practices for field multiplication of seed potato in Cameroon. Producer
  manual. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/108906

Training Materials

This course is based on training materials developed by the International Potato Center(CIP) on behalf of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (Harahagazwe et al., 2020). CIP developed these materials to train potato producers and other stakeholders in Cameroon. They are freely accessible through the Internet.

Course content

This course shares knowledge of best practices for ware potato production in the context of smallholder farmers. What sets it apart is that it is led by the co-authors of the training materials. However, they no longer work at publishing institutions.