Sweet potato vines are highly valuable and nutritious as a fodder crop, making them an inexpensive option as they require minimal labor and fertilizer. Additionally, sweet potatoes are an affordable staple for households and can serve as a substitute for bread and cakes.
The growing demand for sweet potatoes has led to the emergence of entrepreneurial ventures in sweet potato processing, such as bakeries that utilize orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to create bakery products like cakes and bread. The newly introduced variety of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes matures within 4 to 6 months and has the potential to yield up to 8 tons per acre. Notably, these sweet potatoes are rich in essential vitamins A and E, which are vital in combating malnutrition.
Processing
The processing of sweet potatoes begins with cleaning, without the need for peeling. The cleaned sweet potatoes are then taken to a potato chipper, where they are cut into smaller pieces. Next, the pieces are transferred to a solar heater, where they undergo drying for a duration of 1 to 2 days. Subsequently, the dried chips are milled into flour and mixed with wheat flour.
The resulting mixture, consisting of 70% wheat flour and 30% sweet potato flour, is utilized in the production of various products such as bread, cakes, and scones. However, during colder periods, the solar heater may not generate sufficient heat for efficient drying, which can hinder the processing speed. To minimize waste, sweet potatoes unsuitable for human consumption are also processed through the potato chipper, air-dried, and sold as animal feed. Any surplus dried sweet potato chips are stored for utilization during the wet season when drying takes longer.
