Harvesting of OFSP begins in Northern Region
The first 2016 harvest of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP) has began -kicking off two months of harvests across more than 100 acres in 17 districts of the Northern Region.
About 250 metric tonnes of OFSP are expected to be harvested during the period in 70 communities in the 17 districts where 2,000 women planted 1.5 million OFSP seedlings in August this year.
The OFSP seedlings were supplied by the United States Agency for International Development’s Resiliency in Northern Ghana project (USAID RING) to the beneficiary women as part of the Feed the Future initiative of the United States Government to promote the cultivation and consumption of OFSP to improve the nutritional status of women and children.
OFSP, known in Dagbanli as “Alaafei Wuljo”, is rich in vitamins and minerals and it is to improve the health of thousands of women and children in the region by reducing vitamin A deficiencies and anemia amongst women and children in the 17 districts.
Some of the beneficiary districts include East Gonja, Gushegu, Karaga, Kpandai, North Gonja, Sagnarigu, Kumbungu, East Gonja, North Gonja.
Mr Andrew Karas, USAID Ghana Mission Director, who visited one of the farms at Nyensung in the Gushegu District, described the success attained in cultivating OFSP in the districts as “a significant milestone – one that will go a long way to improving incomes and nutrition in the region”.
He said by promoting the cultivation and consumption of OFSP, USAID RING would be working to reduce stunting among children in the region to enable them to attain their full potential.
Mr Abdulai Seidu, District Chief Executive for Gushegu, lauded the OFSP initiative saying it has empowered the people to earn additional incomes whiles improving their health status.
Madam Azaratu Fuseini, one of the beneficiary farmers, said the cultivation and consumption of OFSP has helped to reduce hunger amongst rural households.
Source: GNA