US: Close ties develop between Angola and Red River Valley potato industries

Andrew Robinson is a familiar face in the Red River Valley potato industry. Now some of the players in Angola’s potato industry know him, too, and that could lead to closer ties between the African country and the Red River Valley. Robinson, Extension potato specialist with both North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, visited Angola in early March to share his expertise with potato farmers there. “There’s great potential for Angolans to increase their potato production,” he says. The small-scale producers often use the same seed on the same plot of land year after year and would benefit from better farming practices, Robinson says. The origin of Robinson’s trip traces back to September 2016, when more than 55 Angolans visited the Big Iron Farm Show in in West Fargo through the the annual show’s International Visitors Program. More