Representatives from Scotland and Brazil will meet again in January to finalise discussions on removing the disease requirement for disease testing on seed potatoes entering the south American country.

As revealed by Farmers Journal Scotland a few weeks ago, Brazilian officials visited Scotland this summer to simplify the import classification requirements for seed potatoes.

This could set the path for a significant increase in the tonnage of British seed exported to Brazil. As a country, it produces 3.6m tonnes of potatoes every year but its productivity levels are just two-thirds of what is achieved by UK growers.

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AHDB has also been recently involved in seed trials in Kenya, conducted with Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA). Ten varieties have been sent for trialling, four free varieties – Atlantic, Cara, Hermes and Russet Burbank – and six commercial varieties.

This seed is expected to produce 40-50 tonnes of potatoes per hectare compared to the 10t/ha home saved seed typically produced in Kenya.

“We sent more than 1,200 tubers per variety, 400 of which underwent laboratory testing for soft rots; they passed with flying colours,” SASA’s export liaison officer Jackie Gibson said.