Variety: The key driver of demand for seed potatoes in The Philippines

Abstract

With the agro-ecological conditions in The Philippines being vastly different from the temperate growing conditions under which the majority of the world's potato varieties have been selected, a farmer's choice of variety will have a profound impact on the productivity and profitability of the crop. Variety was found to be the most important factor influencing a Filipino potato farmer's decision to purchase seed. The physical characteristics of the tuber (tuber size, shape, skin colour and flesh colour) were found to be the most important factor influencing the farmer's choice of variety. Suitability to the environment was the second mostimportant factor, indicating that farmer's are constantly searching for new, better adapted varieties which will perform better in the field. However, despite the expansion in both the fastfood industry and the snack food market, the suitability of the variety for processing was surprisingly the least important factor in the farmer's choice of variety.