Ayosifam Introduces Vitamin a Potatoes in Kwara

In Short

Ayosifam says it has introduced Vitamin A-biofortified potato vines in Kwara State after struggling to source planting material locally. Early field trials are showing the crop can grow well under local conditions. A participating farmer says he plans to multiply and share vines with other growers next season.

What Happened

Ayosifam says it spent weeks searching across Kwara for Vitamin A-biofortified potato vines, but could not find reliable planting stock.

The company said it eventually found a trusted source in Ibadan around June 2026. It then distributed small bundles of vines to young smallholder farmers in its network to plant and monitor.

After recent farm visits, Ayosifam reported that the Vitamin A potato plants are growing vigorously. It said the results suggest the biofortified variety can thrive in Kwara as well as conventional potatoes.

One of the trial farmers, Mr. Mohammed, told the team he initially doubted the crop would adapt to local soil and weather. He now expects the harvest to improve household nutrition through beta-carotene, which the body converts into Vitamin A.

Mr. Mohammed also said he will preserve and multiply the vines after harvest. He plans to expand planting next season and supply surplus vines to other local potato farmers, creating a community-level seed dissemination network.

Why It Matters

Vitamin A deficiency remains a public health issue in many rural communities. Biofortified crops are bred to contain more micronutrients, which can help close nutrition gaps without changing eating habits.

For smallholder farmers, access to quality planting material is often the main bottleneck. If vine multiplication works locally, it can reduce reliance on out-of-state suppliers, lower costs, and make the crop easier to scale.

Ayosifam is also framing the effort as part of climate-smart agriculture, meaning farming practices that aim to increase resilience to weather shocks while keeping productivity stable. If more farmers adopt the vines, Kwara could see both better nutrition outcomes and new income streams from selling planting stock and harvested potatoes.