CRI RELEASES LESS SWEET POTATO VARIETIES, HONOURS KOFI ANNAN

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 The National Variety Release and Registration Committee has approved the release of four new improved varieties of Sweet Potato developed by Research Scientists at the Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. 

The Committee is however to give a final and definite approval for one of the varieties named after the late former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan within the next two months as a recognition and appreciation to the contribution of Mr. Kofi Annan who until his demise, was a strong advocate for the production and consumption of sweet potato towards hunger reduction in Africa. 

The National Variety Release and Registration Committee, Chaired by the Director of the Crops Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Seth Osei Akoto, made the determination at Fumesua today, after a thorough evaluation of some proposed new sweet potato varieties researched into by a team of CRI Research Scientists led by Dr. Ernest Baafi through the collaboration between the CRI of the CSIR and the Alliance for a Green Revolution, AGRA.

The four approved varieties were among 10 new potatoes worked on by the team in the last 10 years. The National Variety Release and Registration Committee members first visited the site of the project at Fumesua to familiarize with evidence of the research output after which the Team leader made a power point presentation on the details of the project following. The Committee members afterwards subjected the researchers to rigorous critique to inform the approval decision. 

The Lead Researcher, Dr. Ernest Baafi explained that the research objective was to develop new varieties of the existing Sweet Potatoes that have low sweetness level with superior characteristics that would make the crop more acceptable for other domestic and commercial uses aside from being used for desert and chips. 

According to Dr. Baafi, the new varieties, most of which have been named after AGRA in appreciation for the organization’s funding support, are adaptable to the five ecological zones of Ghana with a potential yield of between 17 to 20 tons per hectare. These new varieties could be used for fufu, flour, pastries, yoghurt, baby foods as well as for the brewing of beer. 

The Chairman of the National Variety Release and Registration, Seth Osei Akoto, said the Committee’s decision will be communicated to the Minister for Food and Agriculture and the National Seed Council for the final registration and adoption for commercial production in the country.

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