By Damion Mitchell, Farmers Weekly Co-ordinator 
Cassell Dennis (centre), executive member of the South Manchester Sweet Potato Growers' Association, explains the features of the 'quarter million' sweet potato to Everton Manning (left) and Everald Bolton. They were at the association's second Sweet Potato Festival at the New Broughton Primary School in South Manchester on Monday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
FROM SWEET potato wedding cake to sweet potato pie, casserole, fritters and sweet potato soup, sweet potato punch and sweet potato wine, jam, jelly and liqueur - sweet potato reigned!
It was the South Manchester Sweet Potato Growers' Association's second Sweet Potato Festival at the New Broughton Primary School in South Manchester last Monday.
"Events like these show the younger generation that agriculture is not a dead thing," said Cassell Dennis, 68.
And for Ceval Griffiths, the festival was more than just an agricultural event. "It helps to bring the people in the community together," he said.
Throughout the day, the aroma of freshly roasted sweet potato permeated the atmosphere and adjacent to the venue, acres of recently-planted crops peeped from fields of rich, red soil.
The South Manchester Sweet Potato Festival was first held in 1999 to sensitise farmers towards the diversity of the tuber and to provide information on pest control and other agricultural practices.
This year, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and Agro Grace exhibited farm equipment and disseminated agricultural information while several southern Manchester schools boasting numerous items made from sweet potato competed for the "best home economics display award."
In the primary category, Grove Town emerged first, while New Broughton was second and Snowdon third. Winston Jones High, the only institution in the secondary category received the other award.
Keynote speaker, Agriculture Manchester, Roger Clarke, said that despite several periods of drought, the level of agricultural production in South Manchester was commendable.
But he said many persons still do not appreciate local produce. According to the Minister, "We must begin to support local production in every imaginable way that we can.... because some of the things coming from abroad cannot be sold abroad as they cannot stand the test over there," he said.
He suggested that items made from sweet potato such as those which were on display, be introduced in schools as part of their nutrition programmes.
