By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is a special specie of sweet potato that contains high levels of beta-carotene, a rich source of Vitamin A in the body.
OFSP, as described by the National president of Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN), Chief Daniel Okafor, is cultivated and harvested within 2-months and is orange in colour.
In an interview with Naturenews, Okafor stated that OFSP was introduced to Nigeria from Peru in 2009. It was later tried for cultivation in Nigeria through the National Root Crop Research Institute in 2010.
The crop which can grow four times in a year has beta-Carotene, an organic, red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. Beta-carotene is what gives OFSP an orange color and is converted to Vitamin A in the body after consumption to provide additional nutritional benefits.
Bio-fortification enhances the nutritional value of staple food crops by increasing the density of vitamins and minerals in a crop through either conventional plant breeding, agronomic practices or biotechnology.
Examples of these vitamins and minerals that can be increased through bio-fortification include provitamin A Carotenoids, zinc and iron.
An OFSP platform for Nigeria was established in 2017 to catalyse OFSP scaling up efforts.
The Building Nutritious Food Baskets Project (BNFB) facilitated a formal launch in Lagos which included representatives from Nigeria Agricultural Development Programs (ADPs), National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), school feeding programme, processors, farmers and academic institutions.
According to Okafor, OFSP is different from the usual potatoes found in the market. He said the normal potatoes take four months to be cultivated and harvested. It also does not contain Vitamin A.
He added that it is currently being grown in all states and is helpful in curing arthritis and sleeplessness.
‘’It can be eaten raw for it to work effectively,’’ he said.
Also speaking to the National president of National Potato Growers, Processors and Marketing Association of Nigeria (NAPOGPMAN), Mrs Christie Sunkur, during the inauguration of their first executive board earlier this month, she explained that the orange fleshed has vitamin A that protects the eyes from blindness.
Sunkur also noted that OFSP is also good for children especially nursing mothers, adding that anyone that eats sweet potato when pregnant should be rest assured that their children will have bright eyesight.
‘’Sweet potato can easily avert child defects,’’ she added.
Speaking on its economic benefits, she noted that it can be used for medicine, bioplastic, industrialization, and exports.
OFSP can be eaten raw, boiled, fried or roasted. It also can be processed into flour used for bread, poundo-potato, among others.
Affirming its medicinal benefits, Dr. Chioma Nwogwugwu, an optometrist, told Naturenews that ‘’Most edible foods that you don’t need to cook before eating is full of Carotene and Rhodopsin which are rich in vitamin A to the eye.
‘’The vitamin A helps the retina to maintain good health. For OFSP to have an orange colour, it means that is good and contains vitamin A.
‘’They are phytochemicals that help fight against free radicals in the body.’’