A new variety of sweet potato or kumala was introduced by the research team at Fiji National University’s (FNU) College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (CAFF) Research Station.
Named the vanuavatu variety after Agriculture Minister Vatimi Rayalu’s Island home, Vanuavatu in the Lau Group, the new orange-fleshed sweet potato could be planted all year around with an average yield of 21 tonnes per hectare.
Mr Rayalu said the release of this new variety was a significant milestone achieved by the ministry, through its research division.
“This name has been thoughtfully chosen to embody the resilience, strength and promise inherent in this new variety. It symbolises our aspirations for a brighter and more prosperous future for our farmers and communities,” he said.
“This variety is tolerant to drought and therefore can perform well under low rainfall conditions experienced by farmers in the Western and Northern divisions. The variety also has high iron content which is suitable to address malnutrition and anaemic conditions experienced by many people within our communities.
Vanuavatu has a high starch content of 5.22 per cent therefore making it suitable for flour processing, it contains 30.42 milligrams per kilogram of iron and has a brix content of 3.36 per cent which indicates its low sugar content.
This now brings the total cultivated varieties of sweet potatoes in Fiji to 13. || Rayalu – Agriculture || A NEW variety of sweet potato or ‘kumala’ was introduced by the research team at Fiji National University’s (FNU) College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (CAFF) Research Station.
