Malawi will in the next three years be able to produce sweet potato seeds to increase food production, local scientists said on Wednesday.
Professor Moses Kwapata of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) said that Bunda College has been researching on the seeds for the past 20 years.
He said potato growers have been growing unclean potato seeds but now the college is set to release clean seeds in the next three years.
Kwapata made the remarks during the College and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development workshop that drew experts from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Eritrea to discuss how best they can improve potato production.
Ifad country director Alba Benhammouche responsible for Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia said the country is underperforming in potato production.
She said farmers are producing as low as seven tonnes a hectare instead of an optimum 30 to 40 tonnes.
