Marketing Potentialities and Constraints for Frafra Potato: Case of the Main Markets of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Frafra potato ( Solenostemon rotundifolius ) is a herbaceous specie of the family of Lamiaceae. It is cultivated in the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, mainly by the small holder farmers, as a subsistence tuber crop. It is one of the neglected species with potential for commercialization. In Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou is known to be an important city of consumption of frafra potato. Previous research activities have revealed that profits made from marketing of frafra potato is decreasing compared to that of other tuber crops (yams, sweet potato). The objective of this study was to identify the marketing potentialities and constraints for frafra potato. Ten traders of frafra potato’s tubers of three main markets in Ouagadougou were interviewed in 2015. They recognized the increasing demand for frafra potato tubers and its high economical potential. The frafra potato variety with black skin color were identified to be the preferred variety. However, the rapid tuber deterioration and the lack of efficient methods of storage, the small size of tuber and the short period of tubers availability on the markets were identified to be the main constraints of frafra potato marketing. These constraints should be addressed by future research programs.