Countries in Africa are beginning to see the potential for sweet potatoes as demand grows, especially in Europe, opening up doors for more exports. Growers in Zimbabwe are being encouraged to take advantage of this fact, and to ramp up production while Ghana's growers see it as a means to improve its economy and health.
ZimTrade, Zimbabwe's export promotion agency recently called upon local horticultural firms and individual farmers to look at the potential as the EU accounts for the largest global imports of sweet potatoes and demand has increased by 177% since 2012 rising to $297 million last year.
Ghana stands to benefit greatly from expanding its market for sweet potatoes owing to the numerous economic and health advantages derived from the crop.
Mr Edward Carey, the Country Manager for International Potato Centre (CIP), at a dissemination workshop of the Jumpstart Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) project, in Accra on Wednesday, called for policy revision for its inclusion as one of the priority crops for nutrition and food security.
He said the crop, with its high economic and nutritional benefits, had the potential of improving livelihood for Ghanaians.
Mr Carey said the three-year donor funded OFSP pilot project undertaken in three countries involving Ghana, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, had shown bright prospects for the commodity.
