By Business Insider Reporter
East Africa’s potato industry is gearing up for a potential productivity boost as countries prepare to introduce CIP-Asiryq, a new late blight-resistant potato variety developed in Peru.
The variety – created by the International Potato Centre (CIP) using wild potato relatives – promises to significantly reduce crop losses and lower production costs, opening fresh opportunities for agribusiness investment in the region.
Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Egypt, Algeria, and South Africa are among the first African countries expected to begin adaptation trials. The move comes as late blight continues to inflict heavy financial losses across the East African highlands, where more than 2.5 million smallholder farmers depend on potato farming. Uganda alone loses more than US$129 million annually, while Kenyan growers face yield losses of up to 80 percent during severe outbreaks.
CIP-Asiryq is designed to withstand the disease with minimal fungicide use – cutting chemical costs and offering cleaner, more commercially attractive produce.
The variety cooks 25 percent faster and, crucially for investors, demonstrates strong potential for both table markets and processing industries such as chips and frozen products. This versatility is expected to draw interest from regional food processors seeking consistent, high-quality supply.
Analysts say the introduction of CIP-Asiryq could accelerate private-sector investment in seed multiplication, contract farming, storage facilities, and processing plants. With rising urban demand for processed potato products, agribusinesses stand to benefit from a more reliable raw-material base.
The variety was developed through the Crop Wild Relatives and BOLD programs, coordinated by Crop Trust with support from Norway, and is being fast-tracked into African breeding systems through collaboration with local researchers. If adaptation succeeds, East Africa’s potato sector – already one of the region’s most commercially promising food chains – could see a new wave of investment and improved farmer profitability in the coming years.
