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Potatoes are root vegetables, edible tubers that are available all year long and all across the world. They are relatively inexpensive to raise, are high in nutrients, and can be a tasty treat. They are starchy tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum, and the plant itself is a perennial in the nightshade family. Following rice and wheat, it is the third most important crop consumed by over a billion people globally. Let's look at a brief history.
Potatoes are thought to have arrived in Africa with colonists, who ate them as a vegetable rather than a staple starch. By the mid-twentieth century, it had established itself as a crop, and in modern-day Africa, it has evolved into a vegetable or co-staple crop.
According to Wikipedia, It is generally believed that potatoes entered Africa with colonists, who consumed them as a vegetable rather than as a staple starch. Shipping records from 1567 show that the first place outside of Central and South America where potatoes were grown was the Canary Islands. As in other continents, despite its advantages as an anti-famine, high-elevation alternative to grain, potatoes were first resisted by local farmers who believed they were poisonous.
As colonialists promoted them as low-cost food, they were also a symbol of domination. In former European colonies of Africa, potatoes were initially consumed only occasionally, but increased production made them a staple in certain areas. Potatoes tended to become more popular in wartime due to their being able to be stored in the ground. It was well established as a crop by the mid-20th century and in present-day Africa, they have become a vegetable or co-staple crop.
In higher regions of Rwanda, potatoes have become a new staple food crop. Prior to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, consumption was as high as 153 to 200 kg per year, higher than in any Western European country. Recently farmers have developed the potato as a cash crop after introducing several new varieties brought back by migrant laborers from Uganda and other varieties from Kenya.
Economic importance of potatoes production in Africa
Today, as stated earlier, the potato has become the third most important crop, with numerous different recipes in Africa. Potatoes are economical food that adds low-cost energy to the human diet. Potatoes are high in carbohydrates, vitamins, particularly C and B1, as well as minerals. In many regions, this crop has been a crucial factor in terms of food security, nutrition, population expansion, and urbanization. Its growing area and productivity have expanded more than any other food crop in Africa in recent decades.
