Socioeconomic impact of two potato varieties (Cipira and Tubira) released in Cameroon

In 1988, the IRA-CIP potato project was created in Bambui, Cameroon, with the major objective of improving potato production in the country. In 1992, two potato cultivars, Cipira and Tubira, were released by the project. In 1998, a socioeconomic impact study of Cipira and Tubira was carried out in the main potato-producing region of Cameroon to determine the reaction of the farmers, the effect of the new potato cultivars on the farmers’ standard of living, and the level of achievement of the project’s objectives. Data were collected on-farm using questionnaires and direct observations. An impact survey was carried out in the region with a sample of 297 farmers selected among the potato farmers using stratified random sampling. The survey indicated that 98.6% of the potato farmers were aware of the new potato cultivars. Their main source of information was other farmers (51.5% of farmers informed). Seventy-eight percent of the farmers were still using Cipira and 62% had adopted it as part of their production system. These farmers (62.6%) reported that the resistance of Cipira to late blight was higher than that of local and European cultivars used in their production system. More than 44% of the farmers believed that their standard of living had improved due to Cipira and Tubira, since they had generated more revenue to improve their family education and nutrition, build more houses, buy more farms, purchase more farm inputs, and open new businesses. In addition, the farmers’ average yearly potato production increased from 1.6 to 3.1 tons during the period when these varieties were being adopted.