The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy has announced the early commencement of the 2025/26 white potato planting season. A press release from the agriculture ministry shared that recently, the government received a shipment of seed potatoes directly on the island, consisting of a mixed container containing 1,160 bags of two highly successful varieties: Desiree and Spunta.
It further stated that before distribution, these imported seeds will undergo testing by the Division of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Unit to verify their quality and ensure they are free from disease. Once these evaluations are completed, the seed potatoes will be available for purchase starting around mid-November 2025.
Details regarding the pricing of the seeds and the various packages—covering seed supplies, agro-chemicals, inputs, tilling services, and transportation—will be communicated in the upcoming days.
As per the release, farmers can expect crop planting to take place from December 2025 through January 2026, with harvests projected to occur approximately 90 to 110 days after planting, roughly from March to April 2026.
The Ministry states that it encourages farmers and cooperative members to pre-register with their Extension Officer or at their local Farmer Service Centre to ensure access to inputs and technical assistance for this planting season.
White potatoes continue to be a lucrative crop with a quick growth cycle and strong market demand, indicate officials.
The Ministry “urges all interested farmers to take advantage of this timely opportunity to boost local production and
income.”
Keian Stephenson, Director of Agriculture, audio announcement with additional details:
For more information, please contact:
Main Office Division of Agriculture Vanoulst House Goodwill Road
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy
Tel: 266-3994/3807/3271
We keep looking for new varieties which requires sourcing those genetically modified seeds from overseas, aka big bad pharmaceutical companies. Don’t we have tried, tested and proven cord-patat, even though the yield is smaller but at least we’ll some day be able to feed our gd selves?
Is this what we send youngsters to university, become doctors just to come back home and sit at a desk, armed with no more knowledge or information than we can source and look up on YouTube?