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SPHI Brief 2014: Integrating Orange-For better access to vitamin A rich sweetpotato in the Eastern Province of Zambia

In Zambia, sweetpotato (SP) is ranked after maize and cassava. SP supplements and or serves as stand-by incase of drought or disease attack to other crops. The orange fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) offers high Beta-carotene level with potential combat Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This potential is compromised due to lack of sufficient and timely access to disease free planting material. In this brief, the integration of OFSP can increase availability and timely access to planting materials for existing and new improved varieties. Through training decentralized vine multipliers (DVM) this initiative reached over 5,500 households with quality sweetpotato planting vines. The project established a sand-ponic foundation multiplication system with more than 150 recently trained decentralized vine multipliers (DVMs) across eight districts, who are currently maintaining quality orange-flesh sweetpotato vines for multiplication and distribution next growing season. Fresh root and vine sale campaigns helped raise awareness about the benefits of orange-fleshed sweetpotato.

HOW TO CITE

Mueller, E., Chipungu, F. and Chiona, M. 2014. Integrating Orange -For better access to vitamin A rich sweetpotato in the Eastern Province of Zambia. International potato Center (CIP).