East Africa’s potato sector just hit a major milestone. The International Potato Center (CIP) has officially unveiled a state-of-the-art Regional Potato Breeding Hub in Tigoni, designed to power the next generation of potato innovation across East Africa.
This bold step places Kenya at the heart of regional potato research and strengthens a critical food security lifeline for millions of farmers and consumers.
A Landmark investment in regional food security
CIP’s new hub is a strategic investment built to transform how potatoes are bred, tested and delivered across the region. Developed in close collaboration with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), the facility strengthens:
- Regional breeding capacity, using cutting-edge tools
- Delivery of improved varieties, tailored to farmer needs
- Cross-country scientific collaboration, linking Kenya with its neighbors
- Food system resilience, in the face of climate and market pressures
With CIP leading the effort, the hub becomes a shared regional asset built in Kenya, serving East Africa.
High-tech breeding for high-impact results
CIP’s new breeding hub is equipped with the tools needed to accelerate innovation like never before:
- Speed breedingto shorten development cycles
- Genomic selectionfor smarter, data-driven decision-making
- Modern phenotyping systemsto identify top-performing varieties
- Advanced field trialsto ensure varieties thrive across East Africa
The result? Potatoes that are more resilient, more productive, and better suited to farmers’ realities from combating late blight to thriving in changing climates.
Built in Kenya. Serving East-Africa. Scaling impact.
This regional hub will drive potato improvement programs not only in Kenya, but across Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Burundi and the broader region.
Its influence will be felt across borders through:
- Shared breeding pipelines
- Harmonized testing and evaluation
- Regional training and capacity building
- Stronger seed systems
- Faster rollout of improved varieties
CIP’s launch of this regional breeding hub signals a decisive shift toward regionalized innovation, where one strong center radiates impact across many countries.
A Catalyst for transformation
The opening of the Potato Breeding Hub in Tigoni marks a powerful moment for East Africa’s agricultural future. It demonstrates CIP’s commitment to driving high-impact science, strengthening partnerships and accelerating solutions that matter for farmers.
This is more than a research center it’s a launchpad for the next era of potato innovation in East Africa.
