Nutrition
Fact sheet about sweet potato, groundnut and cowpea in Ghana
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It is interesting to note that:
- CRI-Vern Gracen, CRI-AGRA SP09, CRI-AGRA SP13 and CRI-Kofi Annan, all improved high-yielding, non-sweet sweet potatoes varieties, were released in 2017. They have staple taste, higher storage root yield, that is 19 to 39t/ha, sugar content is 14.47- 18.12 per cent, early-maturing (four to five months), and higher tolerance to the sweet potato virus (SPVD), sweet potato weevils (Cylas sp.) and alcidodes. They are suitable for all five eco zones in Ghana. The varieties can be used for fufu, French fries chunk[1]fried, ampesi (boiled/steamed), crispy chips, for bread and pastries, yoghurt, baby foods and juice gluten-free noodles. They are also potential enzyme source for breweries and other industries.
- WAAPP Piesa 1, Manga-moya, Maa-Lana, Naachem-Tiir and Nutsugah Piesa, all Frafra potato varieties, were released in 2017. Their ovoid tubers are up to eight centimetres in length. Besides, their raw tubers are exceptionally nutritious, resistant to diseases and pests. They mature from107 to 113 days. The varieties are applicable to Guinea Savanna, Sudan Savanna, Coastal Savanna and forest zones. They can be used for thick porridge, tuo-zaafi, amongst others.
- Sweet potato: CSIR-SA[1]RI Nan variety was released in 2018. This variety is resistant to diseases and pests, climate-smart, orange fleshed, high dry matter: 26-29.5 per cent, drought-tolerant and yields 24t/ha. It is suitable for Guinea and Sudan Savanna agro-ecological zones of Ghana. It can be used for thick porridge, tuo-zaafi, etc.
- Sweet potato: CSIR-SARI Diedi variety was released in 2018. It is purple fleshed, tolerant to SPVD, yields 14t/ha and drought-tolerant. Applicable to Guinea and Sudan Savanna agro-ecological zones of Ghana. It can be used for ampesi.
- Sweet potato: CSIR-SARI Nyumengre variety was released in 2018. It is white fleshed, resistant to diseases and pests, drought-tolerant and yields 16t/Ha. The variety is suitable for Guinea and Sudan Savanna agro-ecological zones of Ghana. It can be used for ampesi.
- Sweet potato: Micro-propagation protocol for the mass generation of planting material of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) variety. The protocol supports the production of planting material to address the inadequate supply of sweet potato vines and storage roots. The procedure eliminates disease-causing organisms, giving the resulting plant[1]lets more vigorous growth and increased yield. Use of the protocol/method generates pathogen-free material which prevents the transfer of diseases and pests from one point to the other and allows easy international exchange of sweet potato germplasm. The protocol can be a foundation for downstream research applications including genetic transformation activities. The variety is applicable to Guinea Sudan Savanna agro-ecological zones of Ghana. Advantages: Mass production of true-to-type disease-free planting material for existing and newly released varieties. Additionally, it enhances rapid international germplasm exchange (limited quarantine requirements)
- Munikpa groundnut variety was released in 2005. It matures in 90 days, yields 2.0 t/ha, kernels are of very large size, very high oil content (51.8 per cent) and moderately resistant to early and late leaf spot. Munikpa is suitable for Guinea Savanna ecology. Besides, it is suitable for oil production and confectionary products
- Kpanielli groundnut variety was released in 2005. It matures in 120 days, yields 2.4 t/ha, kernels are of very large size, very high oil content (51.8 per cent), suitable for commercial production and resistant to early and late leaf spot. Kpanielli is applicable to Guinea Savanna ecology. It can be used for confectionary trade, has better resistance to Cercospora disease, has good resistance to foliar diseases and it is dry season feed for livestock.
- Jusie Balin groundnut variety was released in 2005. It matures in 100 days, yield of 2.0 t/ha, oil content is 47 per cent. Jusie Balin is applicable to Guinea Savanna ecology. Has better resistance to Cercospora leaf spot disease. It is good field dormancy.
- Edorkpo-mu nikpa groundnut variety was released in 2005. It matures in 90 days, yield of 2.0 t/ha, yields between eight to 12 bags in half an acre. It is suitable for all agro ecological zones of Ghana. Edorkpo-mu[1]nikpa is resistant to Cercospora leaf spot diseases, it is good field dormancy and can delay harvesting up to 10 days without germinating.
- SARINUT 1 SARINUT 2 groundnut variety was released in 2019. It matures in 90 days, adaptable to climate change, high in protein and oil and yield between 8-12 bags/ half acre. It is applicable to Northern agro ecological zones of Ghana. Has a higher oil content of 51 per cent, resistant to Cercospora leaf spot diseases and can delay harvesting up to 14 days without germinating.
- Bawutawuta cowpea variety was released in 2008. It is resistant to striga, medium-to-late maturing, has high biomass, yields 3.0 t/ha, has erect plant stature with few runners and small leaves and matures in 69-75 days. Bawutawuta is suitable for Guinea and Sudan Savannah zones. It has resistance to striga and resistant to most insects and diseases.
- Songotra cowpea variety was released in 2008. It has erect plant stature with no vines and small leaves, matures in 62-65 days, majority of the pods are slightly above the canopy, seed shape is fairly round, the seed coat colour is creamy white and has potential yield of 2.0 t/ha. Songotra is applicable toSahel, Sudan and Savanna zones. It is highly resistant to striga. Besides, it is moderately resistant to most insects and diseases.
- Padi-tuya cowpea variety was released in 2008. It has erect plant stature with few vines and large thick leaves, matures in 64-67 days, seed shape is round to kidney shape and yield potential is 2.4 t/ha. Padi-tuya is suitable for Sahel, Sudan, Guinea Savanna zones and humid areas. It has short cooking time. Besides, it is moderately resistant to insects, diseases and striga. The per cent harvest in total yield (determinacy) is moderate (about 72 per cent).
- Zaayura Pali, Diffeele, Soo-Sima, Wang Kae and Kirk[1]house benga-1 cowpea varieties were released in 2016. They are resistant to cowpea aphid and striga. The varieties are adaptable over northern Ghana. They are good source of iron.
Source: Manual of Agricultural Technologies developed by
CSIR, MAG and MoFA
Page: 98-102, 54-56 & 48-49
The recent floods across parts of Ghana have disrupted lives, displaced families, and damaged homes and livelihoods. While rescue efforts and rebuilding understandably take centre stage, another urgent issue deserves equal attention, nutrition and food safety, both during the flood and long after the water recedes.
Floods contaminate water sources, destroy crops, interrupt food supplies, and increase the spread of foodborne disease. These challenges place young children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older adults, and people living with chronic illness at far greater risk of malnutrition. The scale of this threat is not hypothetical: in June 2025 alone, floods displaced nearly 90,000 people across seven regions, according to Ghana’s National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO). Past flood-drought cycles show why displacement of this kind matters for nutrition following a similar disaster in Ghana’s three northern regions, the World Food Programme documented chronic malnutrition among children ranging from 34 to 48 per cent, alongside acute malnutrition of 8 to 12 percent, in the hardest-hit areas. As Ghana faces more frequent extreme weather events, protecting nutrition must become a core part of disaster preparedness, not an afterthought.
Floods affect more than food availability
Floodwaters wash away farms, destroy stored food, and make it difficult for farmers and traders to move produce to market. As supplies shrink, prices of nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, fish, and eggs increase. For households already stretched by the rising cost of living, that often means choosing cheaper, less nutritious food just to feel full. Over time, diets narrow, and the risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies grows.
The hidden danger: unsafe food
Floodwater is rarely clean. It carries sewage, chemicals, animal waste, and other contaminants into homes, farms, and food stores. Eating food that has touched floodwater, or drinking unsafe water, can trigger diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, and other infections, illnesses that block nutrient absorption and cause rapid weight loss, especially in children. The danger doesn’t end when the water goes down; improperly stored or damaged food can still make people sick weeks later.
What every household can do
- Drink only safe or treated water where supplies have been affected.
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with clean water.
- Discard any food that has been exposed to floodwater, even if it looks fine.
- Cook food thoroughly and never eat spoiled food.
- Keep breastfeeding infants: breast milk remains the safest source of nutrition in an emergency.
- Seek medical care promptly if a child develops persistent diarrhoea or shows signs of dehydration.
Recovery needs more than a full stomach
Emergency food aid tends to focus on energy-dense staples like rice and maize. Important, yes but not enough on their own. Recovering families also need protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, especially the most vulnerable groups. A nutrition-smart response includes fortified foods, beans and other legumes, safe drinking water and fresh produce where possible.
Recovery shouldn’t stop at food distribution, either. Communities need help rebuilding farms, markets, and livelihoods so families can go back to sourcing diverse, nutritious food on their own, not depending indefinitely on aid.
A call for leadership
Floods will keep testing Ghana’s resilience. The first call is to find innovative ways to reduce the impact of the floods. The response, however, has to go beyond emergency relief to actively protect nutrition and food safety through safe water provision, food safety education, trained health workers who can spot malnutrition early, and recovery programmes that help farmers get growing again quickly.
When communities are protected from hunger, disease, and poor nutrition at every stage of a disaster, they don’t just survive floods, they recover from them faster and stronger.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
Ingredients
-2 onion sliced
– One pack of sausage
– 2 tablespoonful of salt
-1 tablespoonful of nutmeg
-One tin of milk
– 2 large eggs
– 2 kilograms of flour
Method
-Pre-heat oven to keep it warm
-Put saucepan on the fire and heat oil
-Add onions and cook until soft and golden brown and spread out on a plate to cool
-Add onions, nutmeg and sausage and mix together
– Roll the pastry out into a big rectangle as thick as a pound coin and cut it length ways into two long, even rectangles
-Roll mixture into sausage shapes with your hands and lay along the centre of each rectangle
-Mix the egg and milk and brush the pastry with the mixture, then fold one side of the pastry over, wrapping the filling inside. Press down with your fingers or the edge of a spoon to seal the joint
Cut the long rolls into the sizes you want and space them out on a baking tray. Brush with the rest of the egg wash and bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes or until puffed, golden and cooked through
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
