Introduction of Orange Flesh Sweet Potato in the Aquatic Agricultural Systems Sonia Allauca Saguano, Research Assistant Shakuntala Thilsted, Senior Nutrition Adviser An experience in value chain development
Jun 10, 2015
Introduction of Orange Flesh Sweet Potato in the
Aquatic Agricultural Systems
Sonia Allauca Saguano, Research Assistant
Shakuntala Thilsted, Senior Nutrition Adviser
An experience in value chain development
Presentation overview
• Introduction• Objectives• Undertaken Activities• Carrying out of Activities• Conclusions
Introduction
WorldFish has distributed planting vines of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) as a part of the CSISA and IFAD Project.
Some OFSP are high in vitamin A , introduced as a new vegetable in homestead gardens for improving nutrition of women and young children.
Vitamin A deficiency is a nutritional problem in Bangladesh. Vitamin A can be stored in the body and therefore seasonal consumption is not a problem. Both roots and leaves are being promoted for consumption.
Sweet potato (SP) is not a staple food in the Bangladeshi diet. Requires minimal management; can grow on marginal soils and is saline-tolerant. SP is an important crop for disaster relief.
OFSP integrates well in aquatic agricultural systems, cultivated on dykes of ghers and ponds.
The introduction of OFSP, in particular combined with other foods such as nutrient-rich small indigenous fish, holds great potential for improving nutrition and generate income among rural households.
Objectives
Introduction of OFSP as a vitamin A-rich vegetable in the homestead garden and dykes of ghers and ponds to improve nutrition and generate incomes
.
UNDERTAKEN ACTIVITIES
Value Chain Activities
Production• Training on OFSP cultivation and
propagation
Consumption
• Acceptability studies of consumption roots and leaves
• Analysis of nutrient composition
Marketing
• Small market of OFSP Leaves and roots
• Big market of vines
Undertaken Activities
PRODUCTION• Training on cultivation of OFSP (80% households did not
know)• Planted October- November 2011. Harvest: leaves January-
April, roots - April.
Production Localities
• 6 HUBs CSISA
Jessore, Khulna, Barisal, Faridpur, Mymensingh, Rangpur
• 3 IFAD :
Rangpur, Dinajpur and Sunamgonj
• HKI
Chittagong
Undertaken Activities
Undertaken Activities
• CSISA: 568 households (predominantly smallholder marginal and women farmers involved in small scale aquaculture.
• IFAD funded Fish and Nutrition Project
(Rangpur, Dinajpur): 64 Households
• Helen Keller International (HKI) (Khagrachari): 21 Households
Production Participants
Production OFSP Varieties
• Three varieties of OFSP were planted. Total vines 63,500• SP4 (medium vitamin A and low dry matter) SP7 (low vitamin A
and high dry matter) and SP8 (low vitamin A and high dry matter).
BARI SP4 (orange flesh
and skin)
BARI SP7 (cream flesh and
yellow skin)
BARI SP8 (pale orange flesh
and red skin)
Undertaken Activities
CONSUMPTION
Cooking Demonstrations• The OFSP leaves and roots were prepared using local
methods and ingredients.
Undertaken Activities
Acceptability study • The tasting evaluation of
the OFSP leaves and roots by women and young children.
Undertaken Activities
Consumption
Consume Acceptability study• Good acceptability of coked leaves and roots. • The boiled roots were not very well- accepted, especially SP4 (low dry matter). It
increased when the roots were prepared in a dish, combined with other foods.
Curry Leaves Boiled root khitchury root Curry root Mashed root0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
SP4
SP7
SP8
Consumer Preferences of meal by variety
Per
cen
tag
e (o
ut
of
10
0%
)
Undertaken Activities
Production Acceptability
• OFSP requires minimal labor, fertilizer and pesticide; saline-tolerant and grow on marginal soils.
• Problems: Weevils. Late planting. Vines theft (leaves).
Undertaken Activities
Nutritional Analysis• Preliminary results
Total carotenoid in the OFSP leaves samples :
Product Unit Price (BDT)
Leaves Kg 10-15
Roots Kg 15-22
Vines vine 0.5
Undertaken Activities
MARKETING
• HH generated incomes by selling:
CARRYING OUT OF ATIVITIES
• Households produced 58,000 vines• Earn 43,500 BDT (0.75/vine)
Sources SP-4 SP-7 SP-8 0.75 BDT/vine
Jessore Hub (CSISA Farmers)
10,000 7,500
Mymensingh Hub (CSISA Farmers)
15,000 8,000 17250
Rangpur Hub (CSISA Farmers)
20,000 5,000 18750
Total 10,000 35,000 13,000 43,500
Marketing
Carrying out of Activities
• Increase number of hh with OFSP. Last year 653 hh, this year 2580
• 49% coming from Households production, 51% BRAC
Projects Total Vines Total # beneficiaries
CSISA 138500 1385
FtF Aqua 39000 390
IFAD 40500 405
HKI 40000 400
Total 258000 2580
Carrying out of Activities
• M&E - Data collection for economic analysis of OFSP performance: production, costs and incomes.
• Nutritional value of sweet potato leaves and roots, raw and cooked samples.
• Propagation of sweet potato vines from the households that planted OFSP to continue planted for the next season.
• Get more get Nutrient rich varieties of OFSP in collaboration with CIP.
Conclusions
• The positive acceptance of women in growing OFSP for consumption and market gives a good potential for inclusion in aquatic agricultural systems.
• Growing OFSP is beneficial, it requires minimal labor and inputs (fertilizer and pesticide). It can be planted on little land like homestead garden, dykes of ponds, and integrate well in aquaculture agricultural systems.
• OFSP is a dual purpose crop as both leaves and roots can be eaten, and can be included in the daily meal of the families to improve their nutrition.
• The marketing of roots, leaves and vines is great potential for generation incomes.
• Working with partners to select suitable OFSP varieties with high vitamin A content
in both leaves and roots, which can be recommended as nutrient –rich foods to complement local meals of hh.
Thank you