Promotion of vitamin A-enriched sweetpotato for production by small-scale commercial farmers in South Africa.

Abstract

The National Department of Science and Technology funded a project on demonstration agronomy of vitamin A-enriched sweetpotato in South Africa for job creation, enterprise development and ultimately addressing food security and malnutrition, particularly vitamin A deficiency. This chapter reports on a competitive system for small-scale commercial farmers for the informal market, based on experiences of the well-developed commercial sweetpotato industry in South Africa. Capacity was developed in nursery management and handling practices for good quality cuttings, and agronomic and postharvest practices for fresh produce. Improved cultivars (high yield, dry texture) were promoted, focusing on orange-fleshed cultivars, but not excluding cream-fleshed cultivars. A gross margin analysis of cutting production was performed and market information collected through informal interviews. The project resulted in setting up of infrastructure at four nursery sites in four provinces (the Agricultural Research Council-Roodeplaat Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute (ARC-VOPI) and at the Universities of Fort Hare, Venda and Zululand) using disease-indexed stock plants of seven new cultivars propagated by the ARC sweetpotato scheme. Training was provided for 85 farmers in three provinces on: (i) vitamin A nutrition; (ii) cultivation practices; and (iii) handling, grading and packaging of sweetpotatoes for informal markets. Over 600,000 cuttings were issued to outreach activities of various government departments, and directly to farmers. The gross margin for cuttings production at ARC-VOPI was R36,110/ha (US$4248/ha). Small-scale commercial cultivation of vitamin A-enriched cultivars, ranging from 0.3 ha to 1 ha, in different climate and socio-economic settings, achieved a mean farm-level yield of 21.3 t/ha. During the 2012/13 growing season, an average of 25 ha of the vitamin A-rich sweetpotato was produced. The key attributes of a competitive system for smallscale commercial farmers were improved vine management procedures, and quality care at harvest time leading to quality fresh produce. In January 2013, roll-out of the programme to provincial level commenced, focusing on nursery enterprises as well as sweetpotato growers.