This value chain and market analysis has the objective to analyse sweetpotato market opportunities in Burkina Faso and describe its value chain in order to promote orange fleshed varieties under the framework of the project: jumpstarting OFSP in West Africa through diversified markets.

The study is both descriptive and analytic and focused specifically on the Kénédougou province, the biggest SP production area of Burkina and where the project is being implemented. Interviews were conducted with different players in production areas (Sokouraba, Koloko, Samorogouan, Sikorla and Sourou) and end markets (Orodara, Bobo Dioulasso, Kaya, Dori, Ouagadougou and Sikasso in Mali). With respect to the financial and logistical means available for the study, data was collected using reasoning investigation method rather than quantitative statistical sampling.

The results analysis shows that OFSP production has a huge potential for growth in Burkina Faso. It could increase smallholders’ farmers and value chain actors’ income and vitamin A uptake. In fact SP is already produced in the area as cash crop with an existing market network. But until now OFSP proportion is still very low, it represents less than 1%. The main SP produced in Kénédougou is the white-skinned varieties followed by the red-skinned, both white-fleshed. In Burkina sweetpotato is mostly consumed boiled or fried. Some actors are trying to diversify the market by developing different processed products, but this is on a very small scale and the products are yet not well known. This study helped uncover some products that have interesting market potential such as flour for infant cereal mixes, déguè, and couscous. Chips and juice can also be interesting to develop, however they may require greater investment and good marketing to be scaled up. Potential partners for processing have been identified, namely BALO GNUMA enterprise, WILI KATAAMA cooperative, ENTRACEL, WEND MANAAGA and DAFANI. Lack of OFSP good quality planting material that respond to the actors’ needs (high yield, good storability, big size roots, early maturing, disease free), poor storage systems that cause postharvest damages, farmers’ low technical know-how both in production are limiting factors. Also the farmers’ lack of skills to understand the market functioning for marketing, the absence of diversified processed products and the consumers’ unawareness of OFSP virtues. In spite of these constraints, farmers and different economic actors perceive the promotion of OFSP as a great opportunity to increase their income, diversify their production and reduce Vitamin A deficiency.

 In order to attend these objectives, key actions have to be undertaken. Awareness campaigns in production areas are necessary to increase OFSP production and marketing campaign in consumption zones to create the demand. Integrate OFSP in the existing sweetpotato markets network including the promotion of diversified process products (infant cereal mix, dégué[1], couscous, chips & juice) and the development of new markets opportunities. Meanwhile producers have access to good quality planting material and capacity building in production and marketing to meet the created demand. 

[1] Dègué is a mixture of semolina and milk, traditionally made with millet and consumed as a dessert. Lately some women have tried to make it  with sweetpotato