Presented by WorldFish scientist Sonia Allauca recently at the 'Value Chain Study Results Presentation and Strategy Formulation', held at the BRAC Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on the 12th and 13th of November. It was later presented at the 'Sweetpotato Value Chain Strategy as a core component of nutrition promotion and women enterprise development', which was held from the 11th to the 13th of February, 2013, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

1. Introduction of Orange
Flesh Sweet Potato in the
Aquatic Agricultural
Systems
An experience in value chain
development
Sonia Allauca Saguano, Research Assistant
Shakuntala Thilsted, Senior Nutrition Adviser

2. Presentation overview
• Introduction
• Objectives
• Undertaken Activities
• Carrying out of Activities
• Conclusions

3. Introduction
WorldFish has distributed planting vines of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) as a
part of the CSISA and IFAD Project.
Some OFSP are high in vitamin A , introduced as a new vegetable in homestead
gardens for improving nutrition of women and young children.
Vitamin A deficiency is a nutritional problem in Bangladesh. Vitamin A can be stored in
the body and therefore seasonal consumption is not a problem.
Both roots and leaves are being promoted for consumption.
Sweet potato (SP) is not a staple food in the Bangladeshi diet. Requires minimal
management; can grow on marginal soils and is saline-tolerant. SP is an important crop
for disaster relief.
OFSP integrates well in aquatic agricultural systems, cultivated on dykes of ghers and
ponds.
The introduction of OFSP, in particular combined with other foods such as nutrient-rich
small indigenous fish, holds great potential for improving nutrition and generate income
among rural households.

4. Objectives
Introduction of OFSP as a vitamin A-rich vegetable
in the homestead garden and dykes of ghers and
ponds to improve nutrition and generate incomes
.

5. UNDERTAKEN ACTIVITIES
Value Chain Activities
• Training on OFSP cultivation and
Production propagation
• Acceptability studies of consumption
roots and leaves
Consumption • Analysis of nutrient composition
• Small market of OFSP Leaves and
roots
Marketing • Big market of vines

6. Undertaken Activities
PRODUCTION
• Training on cultivation of OFSP (80% households did not
know)
• Planted October- November 2011. Harvest: leaves January-
April, roots - April.

7. Undertaken Activities
Production Localities
• 6 HUBs CSISA
Jessore, Khulna, Barisal,
Faridpur, Mymensingh,
Rangpur
• 3 IFAD :
Rangpur, Dinajpur and
Sunamgonj
• HKI
Chittagong

8. Undertaken Activities
Production Participants
• CSISA: 568 households
(predominantly smallholder marginal
and women farmers involved in small
scale aquaculture.
• IFAD funded Fish and Nutrition
Project
(Rangpur, Dinajpur): 64 Households
• Helen Keller International (HKI)
(Khagrachari): 21 Households

9. Undertaken Activities
Production OFSP Varieties
• Three varieties of OFSP were planted. Total vines 63,500
• SP4 (medium vitamin A and low dry matter) SP7 (low vitamin A
and high dry matter) and SP8 (low vitamin A and high dry matter).
BARI SP4 BARI SP7 BARI SP8
(orange flesh (cream flesh and (pale orange flesh
and skin) yellow skin) and red skin)

10. Undertaken Activities
CONSUMPTION
Cooking Demonstrations
• The OFSP leaves and roots were prepared using local
methods and ingredients.

11. Undertaken Activities
Consumption
Acceptability study
• The tasting evaluation of
the OFSP leaves and roots
by women and young
children.

13. Undertaken Activities
Production Acceptability
• OFSP requires minimal labor, fertilizer and pesticide; saline-tolerant
and grow on marginal soils.
• Problems: Weevils. Late planting. Vines theft (leaves).

14. Nutritional Analysis
• Preliminary results
Total carotenoid in the OFSP leaves samples :

15. Undertaken Activities
MARKETING
• HH generated incomes by
selling:
Product Unit Price (BDT)
Leaves Kg 10-15
Roots Kg 15-22
Vines vine 0.5

16. CARRYING OUT OF ATIVITIES
Marketing
• Households produced 58,000 vines
• Earn 43,500 BDT (0.75/vine)
Sources SP-4 SP-7 SP-8 0.75 BDT/vine
Jessore Hub
(CSISA 10,000 7,500
Farmers)
Mymensingh
Hub (CSISA 15,000 8,000 17250
Farmers)
Rangpur Hub
(CSISA 20,000 5,000 18750
Farmers)
Total 10,000 35,000 13,000 43,500

17. Carrying out of Activities
• Increase number of hh with OFSP. Last year 653 hh, this
year 2580
• 49% coming from Households production, 51% BRAC
Projects Total Vines Total # beneficiaries
CSISA 138500 1385
FtF Aqua 39000 390
IFAD 40500 405
HKI 40000 400
Total 258000 2580

18. Carrying out of Activities
• M&E - Data collection for economic analysis of OFSP
performance: production, costs and incomes.
• Nutritional value of sweet potato leaves and roots, raw
and cooked samples.
• Propagation of sweet potato vines from the households
that planted OFSP to continue planted for the next
season.
• Get more get Nutrient rich varieties of OFSP in
collaboration with CIP.

19. Conclusions
• The positive acceptance of women in growing OFSP for consumption and
market gives a good potential for inclusion in aquatic agricultural systems.
• Growing OFSP is beneficial, it requires minimal labor and inputs (fertilizer
and pesticide). It can be planted on little land like homestead garden, dykes
of ponds, and integrate well in aquaculture agricultural systems.
• OFSP is a dual purpose crop as both leaves and roots can be eaten, and
can be included in the daily meal of the families to improve their nutrition.
• The marketing of roots, leaves and vines is great potential for generation
incomes.
• Working with partners to select suitable OFSP varieties with high vitamin A
content in both leaves and roots, which can be recommended as nutrient –
rich foods to complement local meals of hh.

20. Thank you