iDE Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organization has organized a three – day meeting to discuss the way forward for the orange – fleshed sweet potato which is a nutritional power house meant to provide Vitamin A to eliminate Vitamin A deficiencies.
The meetings held in Bolgatanga discussed amongst others issues on creating a market base for the product in various areas where the crop is being produced.
In attendance are its stakeholders including representatives from the University for Development studies, CIP and other Non – Governmental Organizations across sub-Sahara Africa, Ministry of food and Agriculture and Ghana Health Service.
Speaking to a1radioonline.com on the sidelines of the meeting Thursday, Dr. Ted Carey a facilitator at the meeting and also the country manager for International Potato Center (CPI), indicated that the meeting was imperative so they could project into the coming year and also discuss the expansion of the market base for the product.
According to him, the promotion of the product is through a market driven approach in order to arouse the interest of people who are willing to go into the marketing of the product rather than concentrating only on the nutritional value of the product.
He noted that it will be useless for the product to gain the needed attention when there is no market for people to purchase hence the need to promote the interest of farmers into growing the product.
Dr. Ted indicated that in creating a market base for the product, they are placing emphasis on formal and informal market adding that they want to be present in all the markets.
“We are creating a market base, both formal and informal market. The formal market will concentrate on the school feeding programme, private school, hospitals and eateries whereas the informal market will concentrate on the local market.”
He was of the view that when there is a formal market and people are aware they have a demand driven market, they will be encouraged to go into its production and schools, hospital and other places will take it up.
He mentioned that currently, the orange-fleshed sweet potato has a strong market in the nation’s capital, Accra, but was optimistic that there will be an increased market in the coming days because the School feeding has given them the go ahead to pilot in Kumbungu.
It is expected according to him, that after the consultation with stakeholders, the programme will connect strings together and strengthen places they fell short and help make the product more appealing to people.
By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
