Nonetheless potato for Vietnam is a small crop, it can mean considerable added value for local farms. The Dalat region is suitable for growing the year around potato because of its altitude (1300 m). However, potato cultivation is under pressure: the produced production is of poor quality and its storage life is poor. This means that export to other regions and countries is difficult and that local consumers choose imported potatoes themselves. The cause is perhaps multifactorial: (1) seed potatoes of poor quality, which mainly causes bacterial diseases to spread, (2) poor cultivation management eg. inadequate fertilization and poor control of Phythophthora infestans and (3) inadequate preservation techniques.The project provides for the following objectives:
(1) By adequately collecting cultivation technical information and data on storage conditions, the core problems of potato in the Da Lat region are mapped.
(2) Formulating solutions based on the collected data and writing out follow-up programs in order to arrive at suitable solutions (doctoral studies and master theses)
(3) Searching for market opportunities for (East) Flemish companies, among others with fertilizer producers, seed potatoes and in vitro companies.