Raoul,
looking for potatoe varieties to farm at our innovative combined Jatropha and food farming effort here in Ghana I came across your activities. I started studying your approach and realized quickly that this is exactly what we are doing at the Jatropha side of our development to find better localized planting material.
I want to follow your path on bringing the potato to Southern Ghana as a common crop, for us as much as for the small farmers surrounding us. We are well positioned 75 km outside from the capital area, we have a rising demand for potatoes there and all of them are currently supplied through imports, many from Europe. I want to set out and change that to the better for the country and us.
There is a presentation about our general approach to African farming here: http://www.slideshare.net/ulev/bionic-palm-combined-food-crop-jatropha-p…
Now my questions:
(1) What varieties would you suggest for us to start the selection process from and what would be your recommendations to get these varieties?
(2) Are you aware of an ongoing project somewhere in tropical Africa that would be helpful for us to partner with?
(3) Any other recommendations you might have for us.
I will be very greatful for any proactical help you might be able to give us. I have the true intention to turn our area into the potato supply area for Greater Accra.
All the best
Ulrich B Riemann