Improving incomes, nutrition and health in Bangladesh through potato, sweetpotato and vegetables

USAID Horticulture Project - Horticulture Project - CIP/AVRDC BangladeshCIP/AVRDC Bangladesh

Goal Increasing income and nutrition of

100,000 poor households in Southern Bangladesh

Project Relevant Crops (PRCs)

1. Potato2. Sweetpotato 3. Vegetables- Tomato, brinjal, bottle gourd, bitter

gourd, okra, yard long bean, snake gourd, cucumber, red amaranth, Indian spinach, Kangkon and Pumpkin

Implementing Partners● International Potato Center (CIP)● World Vegetable Center (AVDRC) ● BRAC ● Proshika● Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI)

Tuber Crop Research Center (TCRC)Horticulture Research Center (HRC)On-farm Research Division (OFRD)

● Department of Agricultural Extension (target areas)● World Fish● SPRING

Bangladesh has made significant strides in boosting its economy and rising incomes in the past decade;

-yet more than 43 percent of preschool-age children are stunted and 56 percent are underweight

-Bangladeshi children suffer from high rates of micronutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamin A, iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn)

-Some 60 percent of children < 5 year are thought to be at risk of vitamin A deficiency, and the prevalence of Xerophthalmia (night blindness).

Why VAD occurs !

-the excess vitamin A is stored the liver, when the body’s stores of this micronutrient have been depleted

-inadequate intake of vitamin A due to a poor diet and frequent infections, especially worm, measles, diarrhea and respiratory infections.

Whom VAD is common !

-among the young children than adults because children grow more quickly and children suffer more from infections and severe malnutrition than adults do.

-pregnant and breastfeeding women because they have higher needs as they have to supply the needs of their own bodies and those of the unborn child or baby

In children, there are 4 major consequences of VAD:

1. Poor growth and development: VAD children often become malnourished as they have poor appetite which leads to weight loss, lower ability to fight against infection, are more likely to fall ill 2. VAD especially increases a child’s risk of getting gastro-intestinal and respiratory infections.

3. Eye problems: VAD children can suffer from night blindness. This can progress to conditions that damage the eye such as Bitot spots (foamy white patches on the white part of the eye) and Exophthalmia (dryness of the cornea and conjunctiva) which can eventually lead to irreversible blindness.

4. Death: Increased risk of infection, greater severe of infection and higher rates of malnutrition means that VAD children are more likely to die than well-nourished children.

VAD occurring in pregnant women can lead to night blindness, miscarriage, the early arrival of the baby, low birth weight, and increase risk of death of the mother.

Source of Vitamin A: Vit A is available from three sources;

1. Animal foods: Fish, liver, kidneys, red meat, eggs, butter, mild and breast milk; animal source is expensive and not usually eaten by poor household

2. Plant foods: Beta carotene and other carotenoids in plant into vitamin A in the body. Vit A found in palm oil, orange fleshed sweetpotato and yellow and orange fruits (mango, papaya) and vegetables (pumpkin, carrots and green and leafy vegetables). Plant source is more bio-available than other.

3. Artificial fortified foods: Different Vit A mixed foods

Why Orange Fleshed Sweetpotato !OFSP one of the most nutrient-rich food crops in the world.

Sweetpotato is mostly edible – one can eat the leaves, roots, and vines. Its varieties offer a wide range of skin and flesh color, from white, yellow-orange to deep purple.

Just 125g a day of fresh roots from most orange-fleshed varieties contain enough beta-carotene to provide the daily pro-vitamin A needs of a preschooler. Even at low yield (6 t/ha), just 12 decimal (500 m2) of land can generate an adequate annual supply of vitamin A for a family of five. That is why OFSP is often called as a powerhouse of Vitamin A.

Sweetpotato is a resilient crop is known as the classic food security crop. It can be grown in marginal growing conditions (e.g., dry spells, poor soil) with minimum labor, irrigation and chemical fertilizers.

Empowering Women: -Helping women making important decisions on food and nutritaion security at household

-women can earn nearly BDT 8000 to 10000 by selling OFSP vine cuttings and roots produced from only 5 decimal (200sq.m) of land and also meet up an adequate supply of leafy vegetable for a family within 7 months.

-Strengthen women’s intra-household bargaining power that contributes to nutrition, health, better education

IncomeA campaign just to eat a boiled OFSP root for breakfast as supplementary would greatly improve vitamin A intakes and create market opportunities. Supported by an effective nutrition awareness campaign, OFSP roots sell at a higher price than white fleshed roots.

Use of OFSP in processing industry can substitute for potato in making chips and crisps and partial substitute for wheat flour in bakery produces. OFSP products have a golden color that make it easy of marketing campaigns to promote them as Vitamin A enriched products, thus increasing demand

Women Enterprise Development !Activity Target

No.Vine required When needed

Home Garden 3500 1,40,000 May 2013

OFSP Demonstration 4500 45,00,000 November 2013

SP Nursery establishment 300 3,00000 May- June 2013

Total vine cuttings required 49,40,000

The project is extending quality planting materials, technology, and nutrition messages among the targeted households and school children. Over a four year period, the project intends to reach 50,000 households with OFSP.

Home Garden

A woman gardener working in her garden

A typical home garden with trellis at the periphery

OFSP offers low glycemic index and high antioxidants, regular consumption of leaves and roots minimizes the risk of diabetic, cancer and heart disease.

OFSP is a great source of nutrition with cheap investment;

a cheap nutritious solution for developing countries needing to grow more food on less area for rapidly multiplying populations.

Thanks