Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes

| September 11, 2017

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Though most economies in Africa are based on agriculture, many farmers are leaving farming to venture into other work, due to challenges such as climate change, pests and diseases, decreasing soil fertility, and price fluctuations.

But researchers have discovered new crops which are friendly to farmers. Among these is the orange sweet potato. The orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) contains lots of vitamin A, which is vital for human health. Cakes and breads can be made with fresh OFSP. Foods made with the fresh root retain vitamin A content, unlike foods made from root flour. OFSP has a comparable yield to white or yellow sweet potatoes and some varieties grow more quickly.

If you want to create a program on OFSP at your station, find out:

  • Do local farmers grow OFSP?
  • Are they happy with it?
  • Do they have any challenges with growing or marketing it?
  • What have they done to address these challenges?
  • You could focus on OFSP for a call-in program, invite an OFSP expert to speak and take questions from the listening audience, or have a discussion program with OFSP experts, farmers, and others.

    http://scripts.farmradio.fm/radio-resource-packs/package-86/orange-sweet-potatoes/