Zimbabwe: 68k Households Get Over 3m Sweet Potato Vines

25 September 2024

Kutsaga Research has distributed over three million sweet potato plantlets to 68 000 households countrywide since 2021 as it deepens its research mantra into alternative crops apart from tobacco for farmer income diversification.

Statistics released by Kutsaga show that in the 2022/23 sweet potato growing season, Kutsaga distributed 3 457 019 sweet potato seedlings to 68 000 households across the country.

"Of these, 40 percent were biofortified orange-fleshed varieties namely Delvia, Beauregard and Alisha, which are known to be highly nutritious and much sought after in the export markets," said the report.

Kutsaga is playing a pivotal role in support of rural development through the supply of virus-free climate-smart sweet potato seedlings as espoused in the Horticulture Recovery and Growth Plan (HRGP).

The Presidential Horticulture Rural Development Scheme will provide each household with improved sweet potato varieties for food and income and 10 fruit trees among other interventions.

Kutsaga public relations and communications officer, Mr Tatenda Mugabe said the Kutsaga virus-free and climate-smart sweet potato varieties had an average potential yield of 25 tonnes per hectare.

"Furthermore, studies have shown that 50 percent of the produce is used for domestic consumption while the other half is sold commercially generating an average household income of US$9 000 per annum after implementing good agronomic practices (GAPs). The sweet potato project is a transformative plan anchored on rural horticultural agro-industrialisation and beneficiation through community involvement," he said.

A notice from Kutsaga revealed that it was producing Chingovha, German II, Alisha, Delvia, and Beauregard sweet potato varieties.

"Chingovha produces tubers with white skin and flesh, whereas German II had red skin and white flesh tubers. These two varieties are the most popular in Zimbabwe because of their high palatability and richness in nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre, potassium, pantothenic acid, copper and niacin," added the notice.

The Kutsaga notice read: "Alisha produces tubers with white skin and orange flesh, whereas Delvia and Beauregard tubers are red skin and orange flesh. These three varieties are naturally biofortified with high beta-carotene, which is the precursor for the production of vitamin A. They also contain carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibre, potassium, pantothenic acid, copper and niacin."

The coming into effect of the framework convention of tobacco control (FCTC) in February 2005, which discourages tobacco production and consumption has led to the country seeking diversification from tobacco farming to other crops.

It is in that regard that Kutsaga is actualising the Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan (TVCTP) crafted in 2021 by promoting sustainable intensification of tobacco production and marketing as well as researching and facilitating the production of alternative crops to guard against loss of farmer income and export revenue for the country.

Its state-of-the-art laboratory and purpose-built green-house hardening facilities for commercial production gives it the lead in research on sustainable crop management techniques as well as providing accurate and timely molecular diagnostic and characterisation services for pests, diseases and plant genotypes.

Apart from sweet potato, Kutsaga is using its cutting-edge technology to evaluate the agronomic aspects of Hemp (Cannabis sativa), Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) and Chia (salvina hispanicum) production as alternatives to tobacco production in Zimbabwe.

Kutsaga's activities are in support of the nation's quest for food, nutrition and seed security as the country marches towards its vision 2030 objective of an empowered and prosperous upper middle-income society.

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