Bayer, Solynta partner to roll out hybrid potato seeds in Kenya, India

German agrochemicals giant Bayer on Monday said it has agreed to collaborate with Dutch potato breeding company Solynta for commercialisation and distribution of true potato seeds in Kenya and India.

The partnership marks Bayer's entry into the global potato market and represents its first collaboration with Solynta, a specialist in developing hybrid potato varieties.

According to Bayer, the initiative aims to introduce true potato seeds as an alternative to traditional seed tubers. These seeds require only 25 grams per hectare compared to 2,500 kg of seed tubers, offering significant logistical and disease-control advantages.

Bayer will leverage its distribution networks in Kenya and India to commercialise Solynta's hybrid potato varieties, targeting smallholder farmers in remote areas, it said in a statement.

"We expect these true potato seeds to have a positive impact on local communities and on food and nutritional security in Kenya and India," Bayer's Crop Science Division Hea