05 Nov 2026

Potato is on the list of priority horticultural crops under the One Crop One Priority Crop (OCOP) initiative because of strong domestic demand and its potential to reduce reliance on imports.

This is why farmers are encouraged to scale up production, bridge the domestic supply gap, strengthen food security, and unlock opportunities within the horticultural value chain.

The call was made during the North West District Crop Production Training and Stakeholder Consultation Meeting in Maun recently, where farmers were equipped with knowledge and interventions aimed at improving production and strengthening their participation in the potato value chain.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) agriculture specialist, Ms Zibanani Motshabi, said the training sought to build farmers’ capacity to produce quality potatoes while enabling them to add value to their produce and contribute meaningfully to national food security.

She said potato production presented considerable opportunities, given its importance as a food staple and its contribution to the broader food supply chain. Ms Motshabi noted that increasing local production would not only help the country move towards self-sufficiency but also create opportunities for farmers to explore international markets. She said the potential within the farming community needed to be harnessed to grow the subsector and strengthen its contribution to the economy.

“The government, with support from FAO through the One Crop One Priority Product Initiative, is developing a national potato value chain strategy to strengthen production, storage and processing,” she said.

For his part, FAO National Consultant, Mr Barutwa Thebenala, said key interventions to advance the subsector included strengthening certified seed systems, intensifying production and promoting climate-smart technologies.

 He said improved research and extension services, the development of structured markets and resource mobilisation were equally critical to unlocking the industry’s potential.

Mr Thebenala observed that structured markets would be particularly beneficial to small-scale farmers by creating more reliable opportunities to sell their produce and participate in the commercial value chain.

He said domestic potato production currently accounted for only 17 per cent of national demand, highlighting a substantial supply gap that presented an opportunity for local farmers to expand production.

Despite efforts to grow the subsector, he said, potato production continued to face several constraints that required deliberate interventions and stronger partnerships.

He further pointed to limited and inadequate post-harvest infrastructure as one of the challenges affecting small-scale farmers, noting that improved facilities, alongside targeted training and capacity building, were necessary to increase production and minimise losses. ENDS