Traditional Potato Food Types Preparation Practices and Farmer Reaction in Welmera and Ada Berga District, West Shewa, Ethiopia

Abstract

In most developing countries potatoes are consumed in fresh with some processing into chips and crisps. In Ethiopia there are only three type of potato processed products such as boiled or cooked product, wot and deep fried types. Principally, farmers in Ethiopia produce potato for fresh marketing and tubers seed sale. To diversify potato utilization, training on potato processing was held in two kebeles of Welmera and one kebele’s of Ada Berga District for selected potato producing farmers group and cooperative members to promote potato processing and increase farmer’s attitude towards potato production as well as to diversify the use of potato product and foods farmers use. The recipes done were Potato Pasta, Potato Kinche, Potato quanta, Potato starch, Potato crisp and chips, Genfo, Shiro wot, Chechebsa, Enjera, bread, Firfir (from mixture of meat and egg). These food types were found food which have good look, nutritious and pleasant. Use of potato in different food items raise the appetite of people and diversify food farmers’ use. Farmers appreciated the food types prepared from potato. They recommended processing and promoting it through mass media (TV), radio and exhibition in town administration. In addition, the farmers appreciated the effort Holetta Research Center puts in providing new seed tubers together with its technology to producers and they asked to get continues support in the future time.