OFSP farming ‘ll reduce Nigeria’s wheat importation by 25% –IPC

The International Potato Centre, IPC, has projected that importation of wheat in Nigeria could be reduced by 25 per cent if the farmers embraced proper growth of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes, OFSP.

Speaking at the 18th annual lecture of Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute, ARMTI, the IPC Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Phorbee Peju, said that OFSP, which could be grown in all the 36 states, can meet some bakery needs of the country.

Peju, whose paper is titled ‘Food Security, Employment Generation and Wealth Creation in
a Developing Economy: The Role of OFSP, explained that the bakery industry could boost farmers’ productivity; improve nutrition and livelihoods if OFSP- in form of pure can be used in bread baking and other pastry products like cookies, cakes, pies and the like.

She said that a composite flour of about 40 per cent OFSP puree had been made into well acceptable bread for commercial purpose in Nairobi while most bakeries in Osun State are presently using it.

The crop expert noted that this inclusion, even at 25 per cent, would go a long way in reducing dependence on wheat importation, conserve foreign exchange, put more money in farmers’ pockets and productively engage the women and youths, adding that it was just one aspect of use, not to mention other products that could be adopted from countries especially China.

This is even as she hinted that there were other commercial high value products that could be made from the OFSP such as juice, complementary foods, and jam/spread.

According to the IPC representative, Rainbow project, in collaboration with the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta and Federal Polytechnic Offa has been working on OFSP diversified product development and promotions for uptake by the medium and large scale industries.

OFSP is a breed of sweet potato that is fortified with Vitamin A; which is an essential micro nutrient for all especially children under the age of five, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Beyond ‘boil and eat’, the OFSP had been processed into various commercial products and also used to enrich indigenous foods. Rural women processors in the six OFSP projects’ states have successfully come up with OFSP Kunu, (local beverage), OFSP gaari, Fufu, elubo, pap and other meals.