News and Views

An estimated 2 billion people in the developing world suffer from the effects of micronutrient malnutrition, widely known as hidden hunger. Preschool children, adolescent women, and in general, women of reproductive age are most vulnerable due to their higher requirements for rapid growth and reproduction, respectively. Read and download full …

Through a generous endowment established by Dr. Jan W. Low, every year the Best Sweetpotato Scientific Paper published during the year before will receive an award consisting of US$500, which will be presented to the lead author.  The award is intended to be split among the co-authors. You do not …

The ‘Everything you ever wanted to know about sweetpotato’ manual – 7 volumes is now available in Amharic. This manual contains ‘Everything you ever wanted to know about sweetpotato’. We hope that it will be useful for those involved in training extensionists and NGO staff at different levels, and that …

Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) is an impressive crop, able to grow on marginal lands and produce nutritious roots within three months from planting. However, farmers plant vine cuttings rather than seeds, and getting enough vines to plant at the beginning of the rainy season can be a challenge for smallholders in …

Sweetpotato silage is a method for preserving vines and roots in a succulent condition in a silo. Well-made sweetpotato silage is a wholesome and nutritious feed for all classes of cattle and pigs. Sweetpotato silage is made by fermenting chopped vines and roots of non-commercial value in the absence of …

Malnutrition and food insecurity are on worrying levels in Africa and experts believe improved sweet potato varieties could help reverse this. Dr. Hugo Campos, Project leader for SweetGAINS project joins CNBC Africa for more. Sweetgains: How climate-resilient sweet potato can help secure Africa’s food security – CNBC AfricaMalnutrition and food …

“SweetGAINS project will build upon earlier achievements to accelerate and improve the development and dissemination of climate-resilient, market-accepted sweetpotato, including orange- and the more common white- and yellow-fleshed varieties. It will bring a customer-needs-driven, industry perspective to sweetpotato breeding and promote aspects such as operational excellence,” said Hugo Campos, CIP …

A series of 5 ongoing online meetings takes steps to strengthen a West Africa Sweetpotato Breeding and Seed Community of practice, to ensure the continuing development and dissemination of nutritious and productive sweetpotato varieties for the sub-Region.  The meetings organized by the International Potato Center under the auspices of the …

By Joshua Okonya The OFSP is one product that needs to be considered only in food-aid programmes for mass distribution but also commercial farming. It’s rich in vitamins that help boost immunity and hence help the body to wade off some illnesses. Use sweet potatoes as emergency foodBy Joshua Okonya …