Tanzanian sweet potatoes are the most famous crop among the people of that region. Tanzania is the third world’s top sweet potato producer. Many potatoes are grown in Tanzania, but sweet potatoes have a unique taste, and everyone loves them. Not only does these has the demand from the Tanzanian people, but it also has a market worldwide. Farmers are continuously trying to maintain the sustainable growth of this sector. Hence, there are concerns about the issues they are encountering. Therefore, they want new projects with creative ideas to solve their problems.

Tens of thousands of smallholder farms grow sweet potatoes. A farmer working in the sweet potatoes on a Tanzanian farm shared his inspiring journey. He said, “I was working in other fields, but seeing my friend’s success, who owns a sweet potato farm, inspired me. His achievements motivated me to follow suit. I started farming on his farm, and now, I am successful also.” This story is a testament to the potential and success that sweet potato farming can bring. 

Sweet potatoes also contribute greatly to Tanzania’s economy. Still, agriculture in rural areas is the main source of livelihood. In 2022, sweet potato cultivation in Tanzania involved some 2.1 million smallholder farmers, thus serving as direct employment and a source of livelihood for many.

Apart from these direct contributions, the sweet potato sector indirectly contributes to the economy through trade. There are vibrant local markets for sweet potatoes amidst immense potential for value addition of the crop. Indeed, some regions are exploring various processed products, like sweet potato flour, chips, and snacks, with potential for economic diversification. These initiatives are in their infancy stage of development.

There are usually many different types of sweet potatoes grown in many regions in Tanzania, including the lake zone, southern highlands, eastern zone, and northern zone. Potatoes like Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes, White-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes, and Purple-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes are grown in these regions.

Sweet potatoes also have versatile health benefits.  Sweet potatoes have vitamins A and C. Vitamin A is essential for vision, immune function, and skin health. Vitamin C helps provide immune function and healthy skin, among many other functions. They contain vital minerals such as manganese, potassium, and copper. Manganese is used in the body for bone formation and metabolism. Potassium aids the body by helping to maintain blood pressure. Copper is an essential factor in forming red blood cells in the body. Sweet potatoes are packed with dietary fiber, aiding digestion and maintaining gut health. Antioxidants in sweet potatoes include beta-carotene. The fiber in sweet potatoes promotes gut health because it supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. It offers anti-inflammatory properties that may contribute to lowering inflammation in the body.  

The sector is faced with various constraints that suppress its development.

Most farmers in this sector still use traditional sweet potato varieties, which are characterized by low yields and high vulnerability to some pests and diseases. Adopting improved varieties continues but needs to be faster due to an inadequate supply of seeds and planting materials.

Post-harvest losses remain high, with about 30-40% of sweet potato yields lost due to poor storage, transportation, and handling. This has been among the most impacting aspects on the income of the smallholder farmer, reducing the crop’s market value and competitiveness.

While sweet potatoes are grown everywhere, due to a lack of organized market infrastructure, most farmers sell their produce at low prices in local markets. More sufficient linkages between producers and buyers would enable farmers to access the more lucrative regional and international markets.

The sweet potato sector is backward but has great potential for value addition. Few processing plants convert the tubers into flour, chips, or puree. Lack of proper investment in agro-processing causes farmers to miss out on potential higher-value markets.

The Government of Tanzania recognizes sweet potatoes as a critical determinant in changing livelihoods, with a strategic goal of ensuring food security. In supporting the sector, different initiatives rolled out for some time include:

The Tanzania Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plan aims to enhance Tanzania’s food security status by developing nutritional-value crops, including sweet potatoes. So far, it has issued improved planting material distribution with stakeholders under TAFSIP and provided training to farmers.

Tanzanian sweet potato farmers are eager for innovative solutions and investments to address the pressing challenges in their sector. The number of people directly or indirectly benefiting from sweet potato farming may add up to more than 2 million farmers, workers, and other personnel along the value chain1

Over the past few years, sweet potato production has increased positively in Tanzania. For instance, the volume produced increased by 6.49% over the previous year. In the last three years, production has risen by 8.62%.

Several sweet potato innovations and opportunities could unlock the sector’s potential in Tanzania. An opportunity is likely to enhance production, improve market access, and increase farmer incomes when fully utilized.

The processed sweet potato could add more value to flour, chips, or starch. This means that sweet potato products might capitalize on new local and international markets. For example, sweet potato flour is gluten-free. It may, therefore, be developed into products catering to the emerging demand for gluten-free products in the health-conscious European and North American markets.

Strengthening supply chains could also reduce post-harvest losses and increase access to broader markets, better storage facilities, improved transportation networks, farmer cooperatives, and more profitable market access for smallholder farmers.

Sweet potato is also one of those crops that Tanzania can export to her neighbors and other nations worldwide. In fact, with the required investment in quality control, storage, and logistics, the country is poised to benefit from the increasing demand for sweet potatoes globally, driven by emerging consumption in Europe and Asia, where the health benefits accruable from sweet potatoes are gradually realized.

Continued research in drought-resistant, high-yielding, and pest-tolerant varieties is vital to improving production and reducing losses. Collaboration with Research Institutions such as CIP and Local Universities will help develop improved varieties suitable for various agro ecological zones in Tanzania.

The sweet potato sector in Tanzania is an area of both challenges and opportunities. It plays a critical role in food security and nutrition. It is hailed particularly for its contribution to combating vitamin A deficiency. However, the sector faces many challenges regarding post-harvest losses, limited access to improved varieties, and underdeveloped market infrastructure. By addressing these difficulties, this sector can make significant progress. With supportive investments in value addition, infrastructure, and research, the sweet potato sector in Tanzania could blossom into a critical contributor to the farmers and national economy.