India, Dec. 1 -- A breakthrough blight-resistant potato variety, CIP-Asiryq, is set to be domesticated in East Africa.

It is expected in Kenya within a few years.

It promises to reduce costly fungicide use, improve yields and strengthen food security for millions of smallholder farmers.

East Africa will be adapting a new blight-resistant potato variety developed in Peru for the Andes in South America. This can alleviate the plight of farmers in the African region who have endured heavy crop losses and spent millions on chemical control.

The variety was developed by scientists from the International Potato Centre (CIP) and partners using wild potato relatives with resistance to the disease. The cultivated varieties created this way wil...