Foods

Food fortification or enrichment is the umbrella term which means the addition of nutrients to food in order to increase its nutritional value. This is practised in order to fortify foods with rich nutrients so as to fight nutrient deficiency

Sweet potato is one of the root crops with a relatively high nutritive value and yet only about 5% of world production comes Africa. It is mostly grown with other arable crops. Asia produces over 90% of the crop with

Jute is perhaps the most important of all bast fibres. The fibre is obtained from the stems of two cultivated species of Corchorus, namely, C. Capsularis L. and C. olitorius L. It is mostly produced in Asian countries especially China,

Kenaf is an important bast fibre crop. It is however grown largely in small backyard gardens in most parts of Nigeria especially in the north. India is the major producer. Origin It originated from the tropical and subtropical Africa where

Origin Cucumber probably originated in northern India and was introduced to the Mediterranean. It is now widespread throughout the world. Ecology Cucumbers are well adapted to warm climates but will grow well at lower temperatures than melons. The optimum range

Origin Carrot (D. carota L. sub so. sativus (Hoffm.) Thell.) is derived from the wide carrot (D. carota L. sub sp. carota) which occurs naturally in Europe, Asia and Africa. It is of ancient cultivation in the Mediterranean region and

Okra is a common vegetable crop grown in many part of the tropics for its mucilaginous fruits. It is a dicotyledonous annual herbaceous plant that’s  widely grown in all ecological zones of Nigeria but is not of much economic importance

Lettuce is a seasonal herb which is considered the world’s most important salad crop. Origin and distribution The centre of origin of L. sativa appears to be the middle east. The first records of lettuce as a vegetable is a

Bitter leaf plants are shrubs and their leaves are used as a vegetable. Vernonia amygdalina, V. colorata and V. calvoana are the three species usually grown. Ecology Vernonia grows in all types of soils. It is fairly drought resistant except

The term cocoyams is used to refer collectively to members of the genus Colocasia and the genus Xanthosoma which are grown for food in many parts of Africa, especially the wetter parts. They are grown in small plots, often inter

Potato is a temperature crop which is being increasingly cultivated in the tropics in areas with high elevations and cool temperatures. It is referred to as Irish potato to differentiate it from the sweet potato though it did not originate

Yams are grown throughout the wetter parts of the tropics. They are climbing monocotyledonous plants with opposite or alternate leaves and they produce large storage tubers. Yams are obtained from several species of the genus Dioscorea, a very large genus

Cassava is the major source of dietary energy for low-income consumers in many parts of tropical Africa. It has become the most important food crop of tropical Africa and had been aptly described as the ‘staff of life’. It is

Pigeon pea is one of the most heat and drought resistant legumes as its root oils deep and extensive. India is the leading producers, accounting for about 90% of the total world population. It is an important legume of East

Soyabean is a crop that has great potentials as a source of inexpensive protein in human diets and many valuable use. It is fairly new crop in West Africa and has not been quite incorporated into the traditional foods of

Groundnut is also called peanut and can be grown as a grain legume as well as oil seed crop. It has the highest oil content (44-50% oil) among tropical grain legumes. It is a major cash crop, which is widely

Wheat is a temperate crop but is grown on a large scale in a sub-tropical and tropical regions of the world. Africa is however not important for wheat production. Origin Wheat is of Asian origin in areas around southern Turkey,

There are many species of millet but the most important is Pennisetum typhoides which is known as Bulrush or Pearl millet. Among cereals, it is the crop of the driest region. It is very drought resistant and gives reasonable yields in

Blast Blast is caused by the fungus, Piricularia Oryzae. It is one of the most common and serious diseases of rice. It can attack the plant at all stages. if the plants are attacked in the early stages, the grains

Maize is also known as ‘Indian corn’ or simply ‘corn’. It is perhaps the most completely domesticated of all arable crops. It is widely grown because it is able to adapt to different ecological conditions. In some parts of Africa,