Country of Mauritius Interested in Cal White Seed Potatoes

Country of Mauritius Interested in Cal White Seed Potatoes

Country of Mauritius Interested in Cal White Seed Potatoes

I'm KayDee Gilkey with the U.S. Potato Update brought to you by Syngenta and the United States Potato Board. Listen carefully so you can answer the Spuds, Scales and Sleds Sweepstakes question.

The United States Potato Board is participating in growing trials of U.S. potato seed stock around the globe, assisting countries in finding new potato varieties for planting. For the past two years, the USPB has been doing variety trials in Mauritius. The island of Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean just east of Madagascar.

USPB International Marketing Manager Sarah Reece shares more.

Reece: “This year in December we organized a market visit for U.S. growers to visit Mauritius. During this visit they were able to meet with government officials, importers and growers. They were also able to see a field of Cal White potatoes that were being harvested by local growers. The local industry in Mauritius is really impressed with the Cal White variety. Both farmers as well as consumers really like it because of its many attributes including : good yields, its shape, skin color, its flesh as well as it overall appearance of Cal White.”

Reece says that the variety trails as well as a the market visit have really helped to build an interest in U.S. seed stock.

Reece: “Local importers are interested in purchasing up to 150 metric tons of Cal White during this year and planting the seed in April of 2013.”

That’s the U.S. Potato Update brought to you by the United States Potato Board, maximizing return on grower investment. ? 

 

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