OFSP: Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (High provitamin A)

Orange Sweetness, Nutrient Richness, and Farmer's Success - Embrace OFSP!

The Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) is a biofortified crop that contains high levels of beta-carotene. Sweet potato cultivars with orange flesh have more beta-carotene than those with light-colored flesh cultivars. After eating OFSP, the beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A, providing essential nutrition and supplementing the diet of people. It has huge potential to improve food and nutritional security across Africa.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•9

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 9/9

Project adoption1

Technology integrated in the IsDB Root and Tuber project.

See project details ›

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

Others: Positive high

The poor: Positive medium

Under 18: Positive high

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: A bit less water used

Biodiversity: Not verified

Problem

Vitamin A Deficiency: Widespread vitamin A deficiency contributes to malnourishment, affecting the health and well-being of communities, especially children and pregnant women.
Insufficient Tuber Yields: Traditional sweet potato varieties yield only 3-7 tons per hectare, resulting in limited food availability and income for farmers.
Limited Nutrient Sources: The lack of diverse and nutrient-rich crops hampers overall nutrition, posing a challenge to addressing dietary deficiencies and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Solution

Beta-Carotene Enrichment: OFSP, with its high beta-carotene content, addresses vitamin A deficiency by providing a rich source of this essential nutrient, promoting better health and nutrition.
Improved Varieties and High Yields: OFSP's improved varieties yield 25 tons per hectare, significantly surpassing traditional varieties, thereby enhancing food security and increasing farmers' income.
Versatile and Nutrient-Rich Crop: OFSP offers a versatile and nutrient-rich crop, diversifying nutrient sources and contributing to overall nutrition, promoting a sustainable and healthier agricultural ecosystem.

Key points to design your project

Improved orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) varieties offer government programmes a practical way to increase agricultural productivity, improve diet quality and address vitamin A deficiency. Developed for African farming systems, these varieties combine increased beta-carotene and iron content with high yields and locally important traits such as virus and drought resistance, vine survival, early maturity, salinity tolerance, weevil resistance or avoidance, high dry matter and low sugar. OFSP is already familiar as a staple food, making adoption relatively uncomplicated and acceptable to women, men and children.

To integrate this technology into your programme, plan activities around:

Identifying priority production zones and target groups, including small-scale and commercial farmers, women and agro-manufacturers. Give priority to areas affected by malnutrition, drought, salinity, viral diseases, sweet potato weevils and low farm productivity.

Selecting suitable OFSP varieties for each project zone according to nutritional content, yield potential, maturity, drought and virus resistance, vine survival, salinity tolerance, weevil resistance, dry-matter content, sugar level and farmer or consumer preferences.

Estimating planting-material requirements and developing the programme budget based on the target area, number of farmers and selected multiplication system. Include multiplication, quality control, storage, transport and timely delivery to farmers.

Securing quality planting materials before the production season. Improved OFSP planting materials are available across countries, but government programmes should organize reliable multiplication and distribution systems to maintain varietal identity and planting-material quality.

Establishing demonstration and multiplication sites to give farmers access to planting materials and show the full production cycle, including vine conservation, land preparation, planting, crop management, pest and disease control, harvesting and post-harvest handling.

Training farmers, extension agents and planting-material producers and budgeting for trainers, demonstration inputs, training materials, travel and post-training extension support.

Developing nutrition and communication campaigns through community demonstrations, extension guides, flyers, radio and videos. Communication can build on the slogan “Orange Sweetness, Nutrient Richness, and Farmer’s Success—Embrace OFSP!” and the existing featured video identified by YouTube.

Supporting processing, marketing and diversified use by connecting farmers with processors, sellers, cooperatives and agro-manufacturers. OFSP can be consumed as a staple, processed into different food products and mixed into animal fodder to improve its protein content and quality.

Monitoring programme results, including access to planting materials, area cultivated, yields, resilience, household consumption, provitamin A intake, participation by women, product development, market access and use in animal feed.

For best results, combine variety dissemination with dependable planting-material multiplication, practical extension support, nutrition education, processing development and market linkages across the pre-production, production, post-harvest and marketing stages.

Government programmes can collaborate with the technology owner, the International Potato Center (CIP), as well as national research and extension services, seed regulators, planting-material producers, processors, cooperatives and agribusinesses.

The technology has been associated with the IsDB Root and Tuber Value Chains Development Project, which can provide relevant experience for programme design and scale-up.

Zambia

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Zambezi		Early	Low	15	Orange
Kalungwishi		Late		27	Orange
Lukusashi		Late		37	Orange
15/1 (Olympia)		Late	Low	20-25	Intermediate orange
Chumfwa		Late		20	Orange
Kokota		Late		19	Orange
Orange Chingovwa (Chiwoko)		Late	Average	18-22	Orange

Uganda

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
NASPOT 5		Late		23	Orange
Ejumula		Late	High	19	Orange
Kakamega (SPK004)		Early	Low	15	Light Orange
NASPOT 10 O (Kabode)		Early			Intermediate orange
NASPOT 7		Early		20	Light Orange
NASPOT 8		Early	Low	18	Light Orange
NASPOT 9 O (Vita)		Early	Low	16	Orange
NASPOT 12 O		Early	High	27	Orange
NASPOT 13 O		Early	Low	17	Orange

Tanzania

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Mayai		Early	Average	10	Orange
Tainung64		Early	Average	15	Orange
Kiegea		Early	High	15	Orange
Mataya		Early	High	15	Orange
Kakamega		Early		16.5	Light orange
Mlezi( Ejumla)		Early		14.7	Orange
Kabode		Early		15.8	Intermediate orange
UKG 05		Early		12	Orange

S. Africa

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
A56		Late	Good		Orange
A15		Late	Average		Orange
A45		Late	Good		Orange
Beauregard		Early	High		Orange
W-119		Late	Low		Orange
Impilo		Early	Good		Orange
Hernandez		Late	Average		Orange
Bophelo		Late	Good		Orange
ARC-SP-1		Late	Medium		Orange

Rwanda

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
97-062 (Gihingamukungu)		Early		20-25	Orange
SPK004 (kakamega)		Early	Average	15-18	Light orange
2000-040		Early		20	Orange
Cacearpedo		Early		20	Orange
RW11-2560 (Terimbere)		Late	Average	20	Dark orange
RW11-2910		Late	Average	20	Light orange

Nigeria

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
UMUSPO/1 King J		Early	High	35	Light orange
UMUSPO/3 Mother's Delight		Early	Average	31.4	Orange
UMUSPO/4 - SOLO GOLD		Early			Orange

Mozambique

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Caromex		Early	Average	15.3	Dark orange
CN 1448-49		Late	Average	15.7	Intermediate orange
Cordner		Late	Average	14.9	Intermediate orange
Japon Tresmesino Select		Late		14.5	Intermediate orange
Jonathan		Late		16.1	Intermediate orange
Kandee		Late	Average	14.5	Orange
Lo 323		Late	Low	13.5	Intermediate orange
Resisto		Late	Low	14.5	Dark orange
Tainung no 64		Early	Average	15.0	Dark orange
199062.1		Early	High	25.0	Light orange
Gaba gaba		Late	Average	6.5	Dark orange
Persistente (MGCLo1)		Late	Average	5.0	Dark orange
Amelia		Late	Average	17.3	Intermediate orange
Bela		Early	Low	22.5	Dark orange
Cecilia		Late	High	18.8	Intermediate orange
Delivia		Early		23.4	Intermediate orange
Erica		Early	High	19.6	Dark orange
Esther		Late	Average	18.6	Intermediate orange
Gloria		Late		14.9	Intermediate orange
Ininda		Late	Average	22.2	Intermediate orange
Irene		Early	Average	19.6	Intermediate orange
Jane		Early	Low	17.5	Intermediate orange
Lourdes		Late	Average	18.3	Dark orange
Melinda		Late	Average	27.1	Intermediate orange
Namanga		Late	High	25.9	Dark orange
Sumaia		Late	Average	21.6	Dark orange
Tio Joe		Late	High	20.2	Dark orange
Alisha		Late		17.7	Intermediate orange
Bie		Late		17.5	Purple
Ivone		Late		18	Intermediate orange
Lawrence		Late		17.2	Intermediate orange
Victoria		Late		16.6	Dark orange

Malawi

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Zondeni		Late	High	16	Orange
Anaakwanire		Late	Low	20	Orange
Kadyaubwerere		Late	Low	20	Orange
BV11/131 (Royal choice)		Late		35	Orange
BV11/150A (Msungabanja)		Late		30	Dark orange
BV11/172A (Nthetsanjara)		Late		30	Dark orange

Madagascar

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Riba		Early		15(11-18)	Orange
Mendrika		Early		16(12-24)	Orange
Bora		Early		16(12-25)	Orange
Mevakely		Early		15(12-20)	Orange
Ejumula		Early	High	19	Orange
Zambezi		Early	High	24.5	Orange
Donga (J314)		Early			Orange
Kaly (J664)		Early			Orange
Delvia		Early	Low	13.5	Orange
Erica		Early	High	22.6	Orange
Irene		Early	Low	15.2	Intermediate orange
Jane		Early	Low	18.8	Orange
Lourdes		Early	High	24	Orange

Kenya

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
SPK004		Early	Average	15-20	Orange
K117		Late		15-20	Orange
Kabode (NASPOT 10 O)		Early	Average	16	Intermediate orange
Vita		Early		16.5	Orange
Kenspot 3		Late	Average	18.7	Light orange
Kenspot 4		Late	Average	17.1	Orange
Kenspot 5		Late	Average	14.8	Orange
K/KA2004/215		Early		27-30	Orange
Irene		Late			Intermediate orange
Silklow6				17.0	Orange

Ghana

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
CRI-Apomuden		Early	High	35	Dark orange
SARI-Diedi		Early		14	Purple
SARI-NAN		Early		24	Orange
CRI-Kofi Annan		Early		19.2	Dark orange
SARI-Jan Low (PGA14011-43)		Early			Intermediate orange

Ethiopia

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Guntute (AJAC-I)		Late		35.4	Dark orange
Kero (TIS-8250		Late		35.4	Orange
Kulfo (LO-323)		Late		31.5	Intermediate orange
Tulla (CIP-420027)		Late		28.48	Intermediate orange
Birtukane (saluboro)		Late		19.9	Orange
Shefeta		Early		36.2	Orange

Côte d'Ivoire

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Irene		Early	Low	15-20	Intermediate orange

Burundi

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Nemanete		Early		15-20	Orange
97062		Early		25-30	Orange
Cacearpedo		Early		13-15	Orange
Irene		Early			Intermediate orange
Amelia		Late			Intermediate orange
NASPOT 12 O		Early			Orange
Mayai		Early			Orange
NASPOT 9 O (Vita)		Early			Orange

Burkina Faso

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Caromex		Early	High	15-20	Orange
CIP 199062-1		Early		45516.0	Orange
Bagre		Early		22.7	Orange
Jewel		Early	Low	16.2	Orange
Nanyoumondo-1		Early		22.5	Orange
Nanyoumondo-2		Early		28	Orange
Tiebele-2		Early		20	Orange
KbOr-3					Orange
Heere					Intermediate orange
Nooma					Orange

Angola

Varieties	Agro-ecology	Stade of maturity	Yield range	Yield	Color
Camuto		Late		15-18	Orange
Cenoura		Late		7.5-40.8	Orange
Cenoura		Early			Orange
Huambachero		Late		8.3-20.1	Orange
Mayai		Late	High	14-30	Orange
Nemanete		Late		15-28	Orange
Zapallo		Late		15-22	Orange

200 kg

vines for 1 acre (0.3 hectare)

25 tons

per hectare

IP

Open source / open access

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology\’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology\’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 8 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: tested

Level of use 8 out of 9

Common use by intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Project	Countries	Beneficiaries	Budget (USD) & duration	Key figures
IsDB Root and Tuber IsDB Root and Tuber Value Chains Development Project	Benin	Direct: 150,000 Indirect: 1,000,000	550.000 2021-2026	20 municipalities targeted Rural roads constructed Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponic (SAH) complexes established

Project

Countries

Beneficiaries

Budget (USD) & duration

Key figures

IsDB Root and Tuber
IsDB Root and Tuber Value Chains Development Project

Benin

Direct: 150,000
Indirect: 1,000,000

550.000

2021-2026

20 municipalities targeted
Rural roads constructed
Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponic (SAH) complexes established

Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid	–		–
Subhumid	–		–
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Obtain Planting Material:
- Purchase a 10kg bag of OFSP vines, usually available for less than USD 20, including transport costs.
Planting:
- Space the vines 50cm apart in rows, maintaining a 30cm distance from plant to plant.
Propagation:
- Use healthy slips or cuttings obtained from the vines. Plant the slips at an angle in the soil.
Region:
- OFSP is adaptable to all agroecologies in Africa, making it suitable for various climates and regions.
Application:
- OFSP tubers can be consumed after cooking. Alternatively, they can be milled into flour or mashed into puree for a range of products such as bread, chapatis, cakes, juices, and porridge.
Livestock Feed:
- Peels and tubers can be used to create feed meal for animal rearing, enhancing protein content. Leftover vines and low-grade tubers can be turned into silage, providing nutritious fodder for ruminant livestock and pigs.
Propagation Method:
- OFSP can be propagated from seeds, tubers, or vines. Cuttings from vines are commonly used for planting and are easy to prepare.
Planting Technique:
- Plant healthy slips or cuttings by inserting them at an angle in the soil, with a spacing of 50cm between rows and 30cm from plant to plant.
Availability:
- Improved OFSP varieties are available in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia, and are ready to be scaled for addressing malnutrition and increasing profits for producers.

Last updated on Jul 27, 2026

International Potato Center (CIP)
Kwikiriza Norman

Technology from

ProPAS

Commodities

Sweet Potato

Sustainable Development Goals Details ›

Subcategory

Yield improvement Quality improvement

Value chain step

Production

Solution

Yield Improvement quality improvement

Toolkits

Tested/adopted in Details ›

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Where it can be used Details ›

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones.

Target groups

Farmers Seed companies

CIP Technologies

OFSP: Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (High provitamin A)

Project adoption1

Problem

Solution

Key points to design your project

200 kg

25 tons

IP