Farmers’ Perception On Main Technical Factors Affecting Irish Potato Production In Rwanda: Case Of Musanze District

Abstract

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most common foods consumed in Rwanda and all over the world. However, the yields of potato remain low, ranging from 5 to 20 tons per ha in Rwanda. The average yield obtained during this research is 8.873 t per ha. This low potato yield is mainly caused by technical factors, including low seed quality, pests and diseases, agriculture input that are not well applied, and crop rotation. The objective of this study was to identify the main technical factors affecting potato production based on farmer perception in Musanze district of Rwanda. For this study, seven sectors of the district were selected, and in each sector, 27 potato farmers were randomly selected and interviewed using formal, informal, and expert interviews based on the prepared questionnaires. The qualitative and quantitative data were recorded and analysed using Microsoft Excel and STATA 14. Among the 192 farmers from all seven targeted sectors of the district, 17.19% used a formal seed system, while 82.81% used an informal seed system. The obtained results showed that the prevalence of diseases and pests such as late blight, bacteria wilt (BW) and aphids was perceived at 31.9, 68.8, and 86.8%, respectively. The study recommends an increase in awareness of certified seeds, their presence on the market, a reduced price for certified seeds, and the management of soil-borne diseases using appropriate crop rotation and biological and chemical control, among other things. Keywords: Technical factor, farmer’s perception, potato, Musanze district