Improved sweet potato varieties offer alternative for western cane growers

As sugar cane production and markets continue to plunge in western Kenya, a majority of smallholder farmers have ventured into sweet potato farming to enhance food security and generate income.

The farmers are now growing new varieties of improved sweet potato vines that are high yielding, unlike the traditional varieties, which are characterised by numerous shortcomings that have been adversely affecting farmers’ yields for years. They include low productivity, drought susceptibility, longer maturity period and sub-standard crop quality that fall short of market demands.

These local varieties also have low nutritional value and are prone to pests and diseases. Examples of the traditional varieties are Namnyekera, Bungoma, Webuye, Ejumula, Sandak and Mwezi Tatu.

To address these challenges and provide promising alternatives for farmers in the region, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) embarked on developing and breeding improved sweet potato varieties that could overcome all the shortcomings of the traditional varieties.

This culminated in the production and release of new improved varieties in the market that have offered a reprieve for many farmers. They include Mugande (purplish-red skin with orange flesh), Kenspot 1 (purplish red skin with orange flesh), Kabode (reddish-brown skin with orange flesh) and Jankaroti (cream coloured skin with yellow flesh).

The Kalro conserves these improved sweet potato varieties and supplies them to vine multipliers in the country. Interested farmers can also purchase the vines directly from various branches of the Kalro.

Through training and awareness creation on the benefits of the improved sweet potato varieties, counties in the western Kenya region — in collaboration with GIZ and NGOs like Welthungerhilfe — have been empowering rural farmers to embrace the improved crops.

“Once selected farmers are trained, they are charged with the responsibility of passing the knowledge to other community members through the trainer-of-trainers model. This approach has helped us to reach as many farmers as possible to improve their livelihoods,” notes Robinson Murumba, Bungoma County agricultural officer.

Fifty-four-year-old Alice Khanjila is among the empowered smallholder farmers who have embraced sweet potato farming and are enjoying bumper harvests in Webuye, Bungoma.

harsh sun

She has grown different improved sweet potato varieties that have covered her farm with broad leaves, cushioning the soil from the harsh rays of the sun.

Ms Khanjila depends solely on agriculture to earn a living and fend for her children and family. She says sweet potato generates more income than other crops on her farm.

“I used to rely heavily on sugar cane for income until its market dwindled, leading to losses. I have maize but its prices keep changing and I have been making losses for two years now. However, since I started growing sweet potatoes, I have recorded a lot of profit because it is high yielding compared to other the other crops,” she says.

She notes that she enjoys growing the new variety of sweet potatoes because they require low input and also offer many opportunities for value-addition.

“They are an inexpensive crop because they do not need much labour or fertilisers.

“They can be further processed into flour or puree and be used to blend wheat flour for making bread, cakes and other bakery products. In addition, the vines are used as fodder for livestock,” she adds.

In her most recent harvest, Ms Khanjila was able to get 60 bags of sweet potatoes from her three-acre piece of land. She sold each bag at Sh2,000 at a nearby Misikhu market, making a profit of Sh99,000.

Casual labourers

She spent Sh18,000 on planting, weeding and harvesting. Hiring casual labourers for packing and transporting the produce to the market cost her Sh3,000.

“Ever since I started this project, I have learnt the best ways to grow, process and sell sweet potatoes. My income has increased and I am optimistic that in the future, my income will grow even further,” said Ms Khanjila.

“A majority of the farmers in this region used to rely on sugar cane production, which takes 18 months to mature before they get income.

“This has majorly contributed to high poverty levels over the years as families lack food. These new varieties of sweet potatoes only take three to four months to mature, which is helping fight food insecurity,” says Murumba, the agricultural officer.

Experts recommend improved varieties of sweet potatoes because they have high nutritional value that is good for nursing mothers and children as well as the overall health status of people.

“The orange-fleshed variety is rich in Vitamin A that provides key nutrients for expectant mothers. This helps with the proper development of the unborn child and contributes to positive pregnancy outcomes.

“Other varieties like Kenspot 1, Kabode, Mugande and Jankaroti contain vitamin B and C, calcium and other nutrients that are important in the human body,” notes Mr Murumba.

To ensure sustainability in the production of the improved sweet potato varieties, farmers have also been trained in quality vine multiplication for their use as well as for sale.

As a result, many of these farmers now supply quality vines to other growers that are in good condition with no signs of being affected by viral diseases.

“With the increased supply of quality vines, many people in this region can now access them easily and plant them in good time. So, we now have many people reaping profits from this new venture,” says Mr Murumba.

According to him, growing the improved sweet potato varieties is advantageous because the crops are also drought tolerant and can therefore be able to perform well even on poor soils and in dry conditions.

“It is very robust against stresses and has only a few serious pests and diseases. In addition, it is high yielding compared to other staple food crops like maize,” he says.