Rwanda is set to join other Eastern Africa countries in growing genetically modified (GM) Irish potato varieties, a technology that has, in the past, attracted wide-ranging public scrutiny in the country.
Dr. Patrick Karangwa, the Director General of Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), told participants at the African Potato Association (APA) in Kigali that the country will try a potato variety called Victoria because it has proven to be resistant to late blight, a destructive potato disease locally known as ‘Imvura’.
The move comes after the country initiated enacting the law governing genetically modified organisms last year. The law is yet to be passed.
Author: By Emmanuel Ntirenganya