SWEETPOTATO IN UGANDA AS ANOTHER DELICIOUS AND COMMON FOOD THAT PEOPLE EAT.

SWEETPOTATO IN UGANDA AS ANOTHER DELICIOUS AND COMMON FOOD THAT PEOPLE EAT.
In Uganda, sweet potato is a major staple food. Most of the production is from small-scale farmers. The crop is extensively marketed but commercialization is more intensive in and around urban areas where prices compare well with those of other crops. Significant market activity also takes place in rural areas although prices here are low. The marketing of sweet potato is still constrained by factors such as its bulkiness and perishability, poor means of transport, lack of or poor roads, poor storage, poor marketing information system, and absence of processing. These factors are partly responsible for the high price margins observed. The national demand for sweet potato is high and increasing and the income elasticity of sweet potato is positive. Even under low levels of use of external inputs, the profitability of sweet potato is high and could more than double where improved technology is used. The competitiveness index of sweet potato in Uganda is slightly above that of cassava but lower than for bananas. Uganda thus has a comparative advantage in sweet potato production.
its mainly grown in Kabaale (western Uganda) and also in Buganda which is the central.
their also different types of sweet potatoes. as can be shown below.

SWEETPOTATO IN GARDEN

ON DISPLAY

IN THE MARKET FOR SALE





Harvesting

Orange potato to save lives

A biofortified new strain of sweet potato is being piloted by Self Help Africa in Uganda, in a bid to combat health problems resulting from vitamin deficiency in the local population.

Farmers in Kayunga district are taking part in trial production of a beta-carotene enriched orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) – a food crop with the potential to combat widespread
Vitamin A deficiency in the region.

One of just a few food crops that can provide high quantities of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body, the orange-fleshed sweet potato was introduced by Self Help Africa for field testing to around 375 households in Kayunga last year.

Sweet potato is a common staple food in most Ugandan households, but the traditional white-fleshed variety of the tuber remains the more popular – for reasons of both availability and tradition, although it lacks the same nutritional value.

The orange-fleshed sweet potato piloted by Self Help Africa has been developed at the Ugandan National Crops Resources Research Institute, whose research director, Dr. Gorrettie Ssemakula, explained that NASPOT 8 plants were used because of the added fortification with beta-carotene.

Keelin Tobin, a UCC student who researched the project during a development internship with Self Help Africa, said the Kayunga field trials had answered many questions, but that a number of issues still needed to be addressed if the crop was to be adopted more widely by rural farmers.

“As things stand, the amount of Vitamin A content in the crop variety is not the primary concern to farmers - yields are,” she said. Villagers in Kyato who were involved with the trial told her that the survival of stored orange-fleshed sweet potato vines between one planting season and the next was one of the challenges that they faced...
“This was partly to do with the fact thatthere was a particularly dry season this year,”
she said.

Dr. Ssemakula of NaCRRI believes that the key to the sustainable production of the new crop will be the development of planting opportunities in wetland areas, and the establishment of a local commercial enterprise that can produce and sell the vines. But Keelin Tobin reckons that an effective information campaign will also need to be mounted if the orange variety of sweet potato is to be used.
“The health and nutritional benefits of eating a more enriched variety of sweet potato will only be seen by people in the longer term. Information leaflets, recipes and other education and training are needed, while the access that Self Help Africa has to local farmer radio can be effective ways of raising awareness", she says.
“Self Help Africa currently participates in programmes on Victoria FM local radio, providing instruction to farming communities on crop storage, plant disease and other topics, and this will also be a valuable medium to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the sweet potato. - See more at: http://www.selfhelpafrica.org/selfhelp/Main/NEWS-uganda-orangepotato.htm#sthash.xi86XCnB.dpuf

How to Cook Sweet Potatoes

First am to show you how other people prepare it which is not cheap because of the things needed in the preparation as shown below

Sweet potatoes are sweeter and, in some ways, more healthy than regular potatoes.You can cook them using many of the same methods you can use to make regular potatoes, such as boiling them or cooking them in the oven or microwave. For a more tender treat, you can even mash the sweet potatoes. If you want to know how to cook sweet potatoes in a variety of tasty ways, just follow these steps

Edit Ingredients

Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes

• 8 unpeeled medium sweet potatoes
• 8 tbsp. of butter
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Microwave Baked Sweet Potatoes

• 8 unpeeled medium sweet potatoes
• 8 tbsp. of butter
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Slow Cooked Sweet Potatoes

• 8 unpeeled medium sweet potatoes
• 6 tbsp. of butter
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 120 ml) water
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

• 8 peeled medium sweet potatoes
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 125 ml) butter
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) sour cream
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Edit Steps

Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes^[2]

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 400°F (°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.
   
   
   
2. 2
   Scrub the skin of the potatoes clean. Use a vegetable brush and running water to remove any dirt and grime off the skin of the sweet potatoes.
   
   
   
3. 3
   Pierce the exterior of each sweet potato. Use the tines of a fork to make holes in the skin of each potato, piercing the potato three or four times. Place the pierced sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet.
   
   
   
4. 4
   Bake the uncovered sweet potatoes in the oven. The sweet potatoes need to bake until they become tender, which will usually take between 45 - 60 minutes.
   
   
   
5. 5
   Soften the flesh. Place each sweet potato inside a clean kitchen towel. Roll the potato on the counter, pressing on it gently. Doing so loosens the flesh inside.
   
   
   
6. 6
   Cut open each sweet potato. Use a knife to slit open each potato from one end to the other.
   
   
   
7. 7
   Serve the sweet potatoes hot with butter, salt, and pepper. Each sweet potato should be topped with about 1 tbsp. (15 ml) of butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
   
   

Microwave Baked Sweet Potatoes^[3]

1. 1
   Scrub the sweet potatoes clean. Wash the exterior of each sweet potato under running water, using a vegetable brush to remove any stubborn dirt.
   
   
   
2. 2
   Pierce the skin. Poke into each sweet potato three to five times with the tines of a fork.
   
   
   
3. 3
   Place the sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe dish. You can also use a microwave-safe plate with a rim. Do not cover.
   
   
   
4. 4
   Microwave the sweet potatoes until tender. Set the microwave on full power and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Pause the microwave halfway in between to flip and rotate the sweet potatoes to ensure even cooking.
   
   
   
5. 5
   Slice open each sweet potato. Cut an "X" in the top of each potato and gently press on the sides of the skin to push the flesh upward.
   
   
   
6. 6
   Serve with butter. Use about 1 Tbsp. (15 ml) of butter per sweet potato. Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
   
   

Slow Cooked Sweet Potatoes

1. 1
   Wash the sweet potatoes. Scrub the skin with a vegetable brush under running water.
   
   
   
2. 2
   Poke holes in the skin. Use the tines of a fork to pierce the outside of each sweet potato several times, covering the exterior in tiny holes.
   
   
   
3. 3
   Place the sweet potatoes into a 5 or 6 quart (5 or 6 liter) slow cooker. The sweet potatoes can be piled up near the top, but you should still be able to cover the slow cooker with a lid without any difficulty.
   
   
   
4. 4
   Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 120 ml) water to the slow cooker. A little water will help the sweet potatoes cook better, but there should not be enough water to cover them. You do not want them to boil in the slow cooker. Instead, the water is there to prevent the sweet potatoes from drying out and potentially burning.
   
   
   
5. 5
   Cook the sweet potatoes for 4 to 6 hours. Cover the slow cooker and set the heat to low, cooking the sweet potatoes until they become tender.
   
   
   
6. 6
   Slice open and serve. Cut the sweet potatoes open with a knife or fork. They should be tender enough to fall apart without needing to loosen the flesh using other techniques. Add 6 tbsp. of butter and salt and pepper to taste before serving.
   
   
   

Mashed Sweet Potatoes^[4]

1. 1
   Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from each sweet potato. Cut each one into 1/2-in. (1.27-cm) cubes. Place these cubes in a colander and rinse with running water to remove any traces of dirt.
   
   
   
2. 2
   Transfer the sweet potato cubes into a 4 quart (4 liter) pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the cubes. Add a dash of salt to the water.
   
   
   
3. 3
   Boil the sweet potatoes for 12 minutes. You can add a pinch of salt to the pot if you like. Cover the pot and heat the water and cubed sweet potatoes over medium-high to high heat, until they feel tender when pierced with a fork.
   
   
   
4. 4
   Drain the water. Pour the contents of the pot through a colander. Separate the water out and return the potatoes to the pot.
   
   
   
5. 5
   Add the butter to the sweet potatoes. You can add anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 125 ml) of butter, depending on how creamy you want the mashed sweet potatoes to be. Allow the butter to sit on the hot sweet potatoes until it melts, stirring as necessary to speed up the melting process.
   
   
   
6. 6
   Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher. Smash the sweet potatoes and butter together using the masher until the mixture becomes smooth.
   
   
   
   • If you do not have a potato masher, you can also use a hand-held electric mixer.
7. 7
   Add the remaining ingredients. Stir in 1/3 cup (80 ml) of sour cream and 1/4 cup (60 ml) of milk and add salt and pepper to taste. Continue stirring with a large spoon or fork until the mixture is creamy and thoroughly combined.
   
   
   
8. 8
   Return the pot to the oven. Cook the mashed sweet potatoes over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sweet potatoes are heated through. Then, serve them while they're hot.
   
   
   
   
   In Uganda u can use the same procedure as used when cooking or preparing matooke..check on the previous posts..of Sept-7th 2013

Orange potato to save lives

A biofortified new strain of sweet potato is being piloted by Self Help Africa in Uganda, in a bid to combat health problems resulting from vitamin deficiency in the local population.

Farmers in Kayunga district are taking part in trial production of a beta-carotene enriched orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) – a food crop with the potential to combat widespread
Vitamin A deficiency in the region.

One of just a few food crops that can provide high quantities of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body, the orange-fleshed sweet potato was introduced by Self Help Africa for field testing to around 375 households in Kayunga last year.

Sweet potato is a common staple food in most Ugandan households, but the traditional white-fleshed variety of the tuber remains the more popular – for reasons of both availability and tradition, although it lacks the same nutritional value.

The orange-fleshed sweet potato piloted by Self Help Africa has been developed at the Ugandan National Crops Resources Research Institute, whose research director, Dr. Gorrettie Ssemakula, explained that NASPOT 8 plants were used because of the added fortification with beta-carotene.

Keelin Tobin, a UCC student who researched the project during a development internship with Self Help Africa, said the Kayunga field trials had answered many questions, but that a number of issues still needed to be addressed if the crop was to be adopted more widely by rural farmers.

“As things stand, the amount of Vitamin A content in the crop variety is not the primary concern to farmers - yields are,” she said. Villagers in Kyato who were involved with the trial told her that the survival of stored orange-fleshed sweet potato vines between one planting season and the next was one of the challenges that they faced...
“This was partly to do with the fact thatthere was a particularly dry season this year,”
she said.

Dr. Ssemakula of NaCRRI believes that the key to the sustainable production of the new crop will be the development of planting opportunities in wetland areas, and the establishment of a local commercial enterprise that can produce and sell the vines. But Keelin Tobin reckons that an effective information campaign will also need to be mounted if the orange variety of sweet potato is to be used.
“The health and nutritional benefits of eating a more enriched variety of sweet potato will only be seen by people in the longer term. Information leaflets, recipes and other education and training are needed, while the access that Self Help Africa has to local farmer radio can be effective ways of raising awareness", she says.
“Self Help Africa currently participates in programmes on Victoria FM local radio, providing instruction to farming communities on crop storage, plant disease and other topics, and this will also be a valuable medium to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the sweet potato. - See more at: http://www.selfhelpafrica.org/selfhelp/Main/NEWS-uganda-orangepotato.htm#sthash.xi86XCnB.dpuf

Orange potato to save lives

A biofortified new strain of sweet potato is being piloted by Self Help Africa in Uganda, in a bid to combat health problems resulting from vitamin deficiency in the local population.

Farmers in Kayunga district are taking part in trial production of a beta-carotene enriched orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) – a food crop with the potential to combat widespread
Vitamin A deficiency in the region.

One of just a few food crops that can provide high quantities of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body, the orange-fleshed sweet potato was introduced by Self Help Africa for field testing to around 375 households in Kayunga last year.

Sweet potato is a common staple food in most Ugandan households, but the traditional white-fleshed variety of the tuber remains the more popular – for reasons of both availability and tradition, although it lacks the same nutritional value.

The orange-fleshed sweet potato piloted by Self Help Africa has been developed at the Ugandan National Crops Resources Research Institute, whose research director, Dr. Gorrettie Ssemakula, explained that NASPOT 8 plants were used because of the added fortification with beta-carotene.

Keelin Tobin, a UCC student who researched the project during a development internship with Self Help Africa, said the Kayunga field trials had answered many questions, but that a number of issues still needed to be addressed if the crop was to be adopted more widely by rural farmers.

“As things stand, the amount of Vitamin A content in the crop variety is not the primary concern to farmers - yields are,” she said. Villagers in Kyato who were involved with the trial told her that the survival of stored orange-fleshed sweet potato vines between one planting season and the next was one of the challenges that they faced...
“This was partly to do with the fact thatthere was a particularly dry season this year,”
she said.

Dr. Ssemakula of NaCRRI believes that the key to the sustainable production of the new crop will be the development of planting opportunities in wetland areas, and the establishment of a local commercial enterprise that can produce and sell the vines. But Keelin Tobin reckons that an effective information campaign will also need to be mounted if the orange variety of sweet potato is to be used.
“The health and nutritional benefits of eating a more enriched variety of sweet potato will only be seen by people in the longer term. Information leaflets, recipes and other education and training are needed, while the access that Self Help Africa has to local farmer radio can be effective ways of raising awareness", she says.
“Self Help Africa currently participates in programmes on Victoria FM local radio, providing instruction to farming communities on crop storage, plant disease and other topics, and this will also be a valuable medium to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the sweet potato. - See more at: http://www.selfhelpafrica.org/selfhelp/Main/NEWS-uganda-orangepotato.htm#sthash.xi86XCnB.dpuf