On the road to potato processing in African tropical highlands

Anton Haverkort, Gebremedhin WoldegiorgisFlip van Koesveld, Senkesha Ntizo, Romke Wustman, Xiaoyong Zhang

Occurrence of potato processing in Africa

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Ocurrence of potato in Africa

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Potato processing: types of products

Processed products:

- Starch- Flour/flakes- Peeled- Peeled and cut- Peeled, cut, blanched- Baby potatoes- Frozen fries- Chilled fries- Crisps (chips)

Potato processing: starting in a country

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French fries from Small food stores

“Processing” in Rwanda: sorting, grading, washing packing

Potato processing: Cottage industry

Local charm Cruza 148’s blue ring

Typical consumers from small food stores

Imported Chips

Imported Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes are ........

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Potatoes are GEMS

P = G x E x M x S

Performance = Genotype xEnvironment x

Management xSociety

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Some potato facts of 2 countries

Rwanda Ethiopia

Area ha 160,000 200,000

Yield t/ha 12.5 10.0

Production t 2 million 2 million

Per capita consumption kg

133 20

Industrial processing 0 0

Main varieties Kinigi, Kigega, Cruza, Mabondo

Gudene, Jalene, Balete

The weather at Rwanda potato site

Kinigi2300 masl

Tmax(0C)

Tmin(0C)

Daily radiation (MJ/m2)

Precipitation (mm/month)

ETP(mm/month)

Jan 20,6 10,6 12,1 50,0 81,0

Feb 20,2 10,5 12,2 120,0 83,0

March 19,9 10,4 12,3 210,0 62,0

April 20,6 10,3 10,1 280,0 59,0

May 20,2 10,6 11,0 205,0 60,0

June 19,9 10,4 11,9 78,0 64,0

July 20,0 10,2 12,0 61,0 67,0

Aug 19,6 11,0 13,3 70,0 65,0

Sep 20,2 10,6 13,3 91,0 73,0

Oct 20,2 10,1 12,8 185,0 77,0

Nov 20,7 10,0 12,1 230,0 76,0

Dec 20,8 9,0 12,6 142,0 79,0

The weather at Ethiopian potato site

Addis 2500 masl

Tmax(°C)

Tmin(°C)

Solar radiation (MJ/m²/d)

Rainfall mm/month

ETP mm/month

Jan 23 7 21.20 20 78Feb 24 8 22.60 30 79March 25 10 22.70 80 84Apr 24 11 23.60 95 83May 23 11 23.10 55 80June 23 11 20.40 100 70July 20 10 18.60 245 60Aug 20 10 18.40 265 50Sept 21 10 20.70 120 150October 22 8 22.80 45 30November 23 7 22.60 10 15.0

December 23 7 21.50 12 14.0

Modeling results Rwanda

Characteristic modelledKinigi 2300 maslApril 1 – August 1

Musanze 900 maslApril 1- July 10

Growing period (days) 122 100

Days between planting and emergence 13 12

Days between emergence and 100% ground cover

42 37

Days between 100% ground cover and harvest

67 51

DM tuber yield (ton DM/ha) 9.7 10.7

Attainable fresh tuber yield at 20 % dry matter

48.5 53.5

Precipitation between planting and harvest 610 311

ETP between planting and harvest 184 181

Accumulated precipitation deficit (mm) 3 130

Irrigation need (mm) 13 50

Irrigation need per ton fresh potato (mm) 0.27 0.98

Modeling results EthiopiaCharacteristic modelled

BelgShort rains15/3-5/7

Meher Long rains1/6-20/9

Winter Dry1/12-20/3

Growing period (days) 112 110 109Days between planting and emergence 14 15 14Days between emergence and 100% ground cover 37 41 36Days between 100% ground cover and harvest 61 54 59DM tuber yield (ton DM/ha) 16.4 13.5 12.3Attainable fresh tuber yield (ton/ha) 73.8 60.9 55.5Soil field capacity (mm water / m soil) 120 120 120Irrigation point (mm water / m soil) 100 100 100Precipitation between planting and harvest 337 676 112ETP between planting and harvest 198 194 197Accumulated precipitation deficit (mm) 13 5 94Soil water reserve (mm) 8 8 8Irrigation need mm/season 5 -3 86Irrigation need per ton fresh potato (mm) 0.14 0 3.0

Price setting of potato

USD/kg Rwanda EthiopiaDry season

Ethiopia Rainy season

Production costs at actual yield

0.122 0.102

Farm gate price 0.215 0.241 0.134

Collectors 0.223 0.251 0.144

Wholesale price USD/kg 0.261 0.267 0.160

Retail in capital USD/kg 0.277 0.294 0.187

Consumer USD/kg 0.308 0.320 0.194

Storage Not profitable

Not profitable

Profitable (in soil)

Recovery 50 %:1 kg Potatoes = 0.5 kg French FriesRaw material:100 ha x 15 T/ha = 1.500 T processing potatoes750 t French fries for the market in the 1st yearVegetable oil content 5-7 % (crisps: 30%)Investment processing line: >1.3 M USD (modules) 100 ha of production requires 250 t of seedOrganize seed, contracts storageWaste (water)Farmers’skills

Some business deliberations

Frozen potato products and raw material for crisps have become global commodities

To be competitive farm gate price less than 150 USD per ton; availabilit year-round

Yields should be at least 25 t/ha in e.g. Rwanda andEthiopia

Meeting specs: colour, L/W, DMC, Reducing sugars(McFry?)

Ethiopia or Rwanda ? Consider yields, sunshine, irrigation, storage and size of the market (capital)

Competitiveness of raw material in Africa

Remember:

Thank you

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