60% Of Kids Lack Vitamin A

An exhibitor explaining how to grow OSFP
Studies have shown that 60 percent of children under age six suffer from sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency.

This deficiency puts children at greater risk of contracting measles, diarrhoeal infections, decreased growth rate, blindness, among others.

In line with these findings, the Editors Forum Ghana (EFG), in collaboration with Farm Radio International and E-Darkey and Associates Limited, held a Sweet Potato Day dubbed 'Orange Day' on Wednesday in Accra to advocate the consumption of orange sweet flesh potato (OSFP) which is enriched with vitamin A.

Speaking at the event, Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, Chairperson for EFG, said her outfit is interested in intensifying the advocacy on the health benefits of OSFP to sustain public interests in the consumption of the tuber.

She added that issues related to the health of people were immensely important to EFG.

Ms Yeboah-Afari lauded the efforts of Farm Radio and E-Darkey and Associates to popularise the OSFP in Ghana.

Studies have shown that about 500,000 children in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from vitamin A deficiency which reduces the ability to fight infections.

But, it has also been proved that the orange sweet fleshed potatoes contain essential vitamins and minerals especially vitamins C, B6, folic acid, beta carotene, and a precursor to vitamin A, an essential vitamin which prevents blindness and proper functioning of essential body organs.

Farm Radio International is a Canadian non-governmental organisation that uses radio combined with other ICT tools to serve small-holder farmers in rural communities.

Emmanuel Darkey, Chief Executive of E Darkey and Associates Limited, a major exporter of the OSFP variety to Europe and other parts of the world, disclosed that besides the health benefits, 'farmers who venture in the cultivation of OSFP stand to get a lot of revenue. If you cultivate 1 acre, you will harvest not less than 10 tonnes.  Each kilo is sold for 10ghc and if 1,000 kilogrammes makes 1 tone then you can imagine how much a farmer stands to gain.'

He, therefore, urged farmers to cultivate OSFP since it has ready market in Ghana and abroad.

By Solomon Ofori &Nii Ogbamey Tetteh