How Orange Fleshed Potato can Serve as Feed for Cattle
Agricultural experts from the six geopolitical zones of the country have met in Ilorin to brainstorm and suggest ways of improving production, consumption and value chain of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP).
The 40 agric experts who met at a three-day workshop, titled, Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) forum for farmers, processors, value addition specialists and other stakeholders for improved production and consumption in Nigeria in the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin was led by the executive director of the institute, Dr. Olufemi Oladunni.
Learn MoreDr. Oladunni while speaking at the forum, said that OFSP had helped to improve nutrition, employment generation and reduction in poverty among the people.
“OFSP has brought brightness into Nigeria in three phases; nutritionally, employment wise, and reduction of poverty. It has brought brightness among people because when people are healthy, they do more of agriculture, do other components of the value chain and they enjoy better life and their income will increase and they will be able to move out of the poverty trap.
“We are talking about vitamin A component in the OFSP, employment opportunity across the value chain. It is not just looking at it from the agricultural component but also looking at it from the nutritional component and then we look at it from employment level across value chains”, he noted.
Dr. Oladunni, pointed out that the OFSP could solve farmers/herders clashes and open grazing problems in the country as the peels of the OFSP could serve as nutritional feeds for cattle, among other benefits.
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“Once you have all the necessary ingredients for an animal to feed on, without moving up and down, it will bring good health to animals in terms of quality meat and milk and healthier milk production. And then the livestock farmers would be able to get more income and this means having another value chain being promoted (livestock) in terms of feeding because it will reduce the cost of feeding, and the human being that leads the animal will also become more healthy by taking the OFSP products and by not trekking before their animals can feed and this will also eliminate farmers/ herders clash that is rampant now”.
The principal consultant for the programme, Mr. James Ogunleye, while speaking also, said that the workshop offered opportunity in bringing together OFSP farmers, processors and marketers, who would assist to escalate knowledge and uses of OFSP.
“Majority of us farmers suffer a lot of setback last year from flood and inconducive weather, among many other challenges. This forum will give us the opportunity to exchange ideas and interact on how to expand knowledge on OFSP.
“OFSP is a unique produce which serves as benefits for vitamin A deficiency in young children, apart from other numerous uses one can put it into eg cream, flour, cakes, etc.
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