Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato for Africa Catalogue for 2014

The International Potato Center (CIP) and its partners are breeding and promoting OFSP as a food-based approach to combat Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and related health problems in SSA. Currently, about 32% of children in Africa under the age of five suffer from of VAD. The transition to OFSP has been a marginal change because the white-fleshed sweetpotato variety is already prevalent in many people’s diet. Our studies have shown that OFSP is highly acceptable to many rural African women, men and children and that integrated agriculture-nutrition education campaigns can significantly reduce the prevalence of VAD among young children.

Most of the varieties are being grown by farmers in at least one country, while the others are set to be released soon. A large percent of the varieties are important parents in breeding programs to improve levels of β-carotene, root dry matter, and resistance to sweetpotato virus disease in the region. Some of the varieties are landraces from African countries while others are introduced germplasm from the United States, South America, and Asia, and have been found to be adapted to particular environments in SSA.

The catalogue is arranged with one OFSP variety per page, with each page containing morphological characteristics, root attributes, and other major attributes along with consumer and processing qualities of the variety.

This catalogue is a fantastic reference for anyone working with OFSP in SSA. The information will be relevant to different stakeholders, scientists, development practitioners, extensionists, and donors.

The production of the catalogue was accomplished with funding from the Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health in Africa (SASHA) project. Dr. Jan Low, SASHA project leader, allowed extensive travels to collect data from different countries, and provided valuable guidance.

Dr. Low is thrilled to be launching the updated version of the catalogue. “The updated catalogue is a clear reflection of the growing importance and relevance of OFSP in Sub-Saharan Africa and reflects the hard work and commitment of staff and researchers on breeding new varieties of OFSP”, she says.

The OFSP catalogue can be downloaded from the CIP website here. For information on how to obtain varieties, please contact one of the offices listed at the back of the catalogue or the CIP regional office for SSA in Nairobi, Kenya. Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is helping launch the catalogue at the “Implementation of Seed Policy and Reforms for the Benefits of Smallholder Farmers” Seminar on September 3rd.

With thanks to:

Dr. Maria Isabel Andrade (CIP Mozambique), Mr. Jose Ricardo (IIAM Mozambique), Dr. Gorrettie Semakula (NaCRRI – NARO, Uganda), Dr. Felistus Chipungu (Bvumbwe Research Station, Malawi), Dr. Laura Karanja (KARI-Njoro Research Station, Kenya), Dr. Martin Chiona (Zambia Agricultural Research Institute), Dr. Jude Njoku (National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike – Nigeria), Dr. Kiddo Mtunda (Sugarcane Research Institute-Kibaha, Tanzania), Mr. Kwado Adofo (CSIR, Ghana) and Mr. Jean Ndirigwe (Rwanda Agriculture Board, Rwanda) agreed to include their released or near release varieties into the new edition of the catalogue.

Various people in different countries assisted with data collection: Elias Munda in Mozambique, Agnes Alajo, Moses Okoboi, Joweria Namakula, Benjamin Kigozi and Mukwaya for Uganda, Dr. Putri Ernawati Abidin, John Kazembe, Precious Nyasulu and Miswell Chitete for Malawi.

The sweetpotato breeders made useful comments during their annual meeting in Rwanda (April 2013).

We deeply appreciate the efforts of the graphics team in Lima, Peru to make this catalogue visually appealing to the user.

africa, ofsp, sweetpotato
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