Farmers in Homabay, Kisii and Kisumu counties have been urged to embrace orange-fleshed sweet potato farming.
Dennis Juma, a manager at a local processing plant said that the demand for orange-fleshed sweet potato flour is high and if more farmers do not involve themselves in this field they will lose out on the ready market.
He said that despite them selling their flour locally, they have also received customers from outside countries who want to try their products.
He added that most of the farmers in those counties are dealing with Nyayo variety which is low in dry matter content but are ignorant of orange-fleshed variety which has high dry matter content.
He said that orange-fleshed potatoes are rich in vitamin A which boosts immunity and have high beta-Carotene which lacks in other varieties.
“The orange-fleshed sweet potatoes particularly are an important source of beta-Carotene, carbohydrates, fibre and a cheaper source of vitamin A for children and breast-feeding mothers. Research shows that just about 250 grams of the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes flour can provide the recommended daily requirement for vitamin,” he said.
Juma stated that though the cooperative society has 50 acres of land which is under orange-flesh sweet potatoes they need farmers to embrace this practice the demand is very high adding that orange-fleshed variety matures fast hence gives high yields.