African sweet potato project targets 25% yield increase through advanced field trials, farmer validation

KENYA – The International Potato Center, in partnership with national research institutions across Sub-Saharan Africa, has launched a multi-country initiative to validate sweet potato varieties for deployment across the continent.

The project, introduced at a meeting in Nairobi, brings together participants from Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique to address productivity gaps and nutritional needs through advanced breeding and farmer-led evaluation.

The initiative focuses on late-stage validation to prepare varieties for multiplication and release through national systems. The program applies Advanced Yield Trials and On-Farm Variety Trials using Tricot technology, allowing farmers to evaluate candidate varieties under real production conditions based on yield, maturity, resilience, and culinary traits.

Consumer preference tests, sensory analysis, and laboratory assessments complement the field trials. Further, these will undergo national trials and registration, with at least three varieties expected to be released during the project period.

For food industry investors, the project signals growing opportunities in sweet potato processing. Food manufacturers can develop commercial lines that capitalize on the nutritional benefits of orange-fleshed varieties, which address vitamin A deficiency while offering consumer appeal.

Firstly, from Nigeria Solomon Afuape expressed confidence in the project’s impact. “I am confident that farmers will achieve yield increases of at least 20 to 25 percent under normal field conditions, which will significantly enhance productivity and profitability,” he said.

In Tanzania, Hadija Ally noted that local varieties remain widely used due to dry matter content, with the project introducing varieties that combine yield, dry matter, and tolerance to pests and diseases traits that address farmer priorities while improving marketable output.

Additionally, in Mozambique, Neila Albertina Maicel said the program supports processing and product diversification, including sweet potato-based foods that can reach urban consumers and export markets.

Lastly, in Malawi, Andrew Mtonga identified supply chain and market constraints as barriers to adoption, noting that the project targets yield improvements of at least 25% to create the volume needed to justify investment in storage, processing, and distribution infrastructure.

The project links CIP with National Agricultural Research Systems to support data harmonization, breeding networks, and digital tools for decision-making. The initiative remains open to additional countries seeking access to breeding materials through institutional channels.

For investors and agribusiness stakeholders across Africa, the validated varieties offer a pathway to commercial-scale sweet potato production that balances farmer profitability, consumer nutrition, and climate resilience.

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