Kenyan sweet potato boost

Growers in Kenya are doubling their production of sweet potatoes by switching to new orange flesh varieties.

The USAID-sponsored Kenya Horticulture Competitiveness Project has been promoting an integrated package of good agricultural practices to facilitate year-round production and a switch away from traditional varieties.

Growers in Kenya’s western region are finding yields are double those they achieved with the older varieties previously, plants are more drought tolerant, quicker to mature and have a higher nutritional value. They are also able to plant up to four times a year, rather than just twice.