SWEET POTATO PRODUCTION GUIDE
Importance of growing sweet potatoes
- Sweet potatoes are an important food crop grown and consumed by majority of Ugandans
- Excess produce can be marketed to supplement family income
- It can be produced under marginal conditions such as low soil fertility and low moisture supply
- It takes a relatively short time to reach maturity in about 3 to 6 months as compared to cassava which can go up to 12 months or more. This means that sweet potatoes can be grown twice in a given year
- Storage roots can be eaten, boiled or even processed into simple products such as chips, juice, pan-cakes and composite flour
- The stems and leaves are used to feed livestock
- Tender (young) leaves are consumed as vegetables
- Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes contain Vitamin A which is essential in building the body’s immune system to defend against diseases and blindness
- It also includes nutrients such as Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Copper and Fiber.