What are Irish Potatoes?
Irish potato candy is a traditional Philadelphian candy. Despite its name, it is not from Ireland and does not usually contain any potatoes.
The candies have a coconut cream inside and are rolled in cinnamon on the outside, resulting in an appearance reminiscent of small potatoes.
How To Grow Irish Potatoes In Zambia
A good site for Irish potato growing should be hilly with well-drained fertile soils. Before planting, clear the land of all bush and tree trunks,
deep plow, and dig again after 2 weeks before the start of the rains to loosen the soil and remove all weeds. Irish potatoes are grown from pieces of potato tuber.
How long does the Irish potato take to grow?
For every 30 feet (9.1 m) of the row, use about 1 cup (128 g) of fertilizer. Harvest your Irish potatoes about 95 to 110 days after planting.
What is the best time to plant Irish potatoes in Zambia?
Irish potatoes can be grown throughout the year in Zambia, except when the country experiences frost (temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius)
that have the potential to slow down growth and kill leaves leading to reduced yield. In Zambia, frost is most likely to occur between May and June.
What is the best fertilizer for Irish potatoes in Zambia?
The recommended basal fertilizer blends in Zambia are Compounds C, S, or Potato Mix. These are the same fertilizer blends recommended for tobacco production.
In the absence of these fertilizer blends, Compound D can be used as a last-option substitute. For top dressing, the recommended is Ammonia Nitrate or Potato Top.
How profitable is potato farming in Zambia?
Improved livelihoods: The project is expected to produce enough small-sized seeds for 104 smallholders and it will create 80 FTE jobs (50% women).
Uplift in Income: Farmers will be able to grow potatoes using affordable seeds. This will lead to an income uplift of c. $316 per farmer per annum.