West Africa are working towards the promotion of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP) in the Sub-region as a food security and livelihood commodity.
The countries – Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso – are currently developing the project, “Jumpstarting OFSP in West Africa through diversified markets” to promote sustainable and inclusive market-driven approaches for the commodity in the Sub-region.
Speaking to journalists at the end of a three-day conference for the three countries, Dr Ted Carey, the Country Manager of the International Potato Center, (IPC), said the conference provided a platform for consultation among partners and collaborators.
The conference was jointly organised by the (IPC), and iDE-Ghana Review Progress of OFSP.
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Dr Carey, who is also a sweet potato breeder at the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), said the partners also discussed the various interventions they had made and ways to improve their activities.
Dr Carey said the conference had helped partners to develop formal and informal diversified market opportunities for the crop in pilot areas in the targeted countries with the ultimate aim of improving Vitamin A consumption among women and children.
Mr Joseph Nsoh, the Project Manager of the Association of Church-Based Development Programme (ACDEP), who presented a paper on the progress made by his outfit, also advocated strong public and private partnership (PPP) in the supply and development of vine material to ensure continuous supply in the value chain.
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Mr Nsoh said there was the need to develop OFSP as a household crop to ensure its utilisation and to focus on the cultivation of the crop in irrigated areas since most communities lacked water resources.