Sweet potato is a high-yielding and cheap and easy crop to produce – but some varieties’ bland taste has dampened consumer interest. It’s time for tastier varieties to take centre stage, writes Bill Kerr.

Sweet potatoes Don’t have the market share they deserve, having been supplanted by potatoes. This is a pity as sweet potatoes are highly nutritious, easy and inexpensive to produce and very high-yielding.
One of the reasons for this decline in popularity is, I believe, due to Blesbok, which is currently the most common variety.

High-yielding with a beautiful shape and good uniformity, it’s relatively early maturing. But, the taste is blander than that of some of the older varieties and the new ones developed by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

Promoting something new
It’s hard to change consumer habits in South Africa. Anything that looks a little different is left on the shelf.

Consequently, the first challenge is to identify a tastier variety that has the same beautiful shape as Blesbok.Secondly, in introducing new, better-tasting varieties, the producer should also consider one that looks different so that the consumer, when tasting it, could identify the variety when next shopping. 

Tastier Ndou easy to differentiate

Ndou is a new variety developed by the ARC. Its taste is vastly superior than Blesbok, and it also has a cream-coloured skin – markedly different to Blesbok’s reddish skin.

Ndou doesn’t have quite as good a shape, being slightly pointed at both ends in contrast to the blocky Blesbok, but it is almost as high-yielding as Blesbok.

Emphasis on taste

Interestingly, when initiating a new breeding programme to try and popularise the crop again, the ARC found that prospective African growers insisted that the taste needs to be good or they wouldn’t produce the variety.

They said they’d rather plant a lower-yielding variety with a good eating quality than current high-yielding varieties with a wishy-washy taste. And I must agree – I have the ARC improved varieties in my garden, which are a treat to eat, and would never purchase Blesbok for my table again.

Emerging farmers in best position

Those who market directly to African consumers have the most to gain as these consumers tend to be more discerning when it comes to taste.

Furthermore, new orange-fleshed varieties, high in vitamin A, are also available. Government is trying to encourage its use because there’s a shortage of this nutrient in poorer areas.

 Consequently, emerging farmers  are in the best position to make the  change quickly. – Contact Bill Kerr on  016 366 0616 or e-mail alphaseed@lantic.net.

For more information on new varieties and planting material, contact the Agricultural Research Council on 012 841 9611.