Yam may scarce in 2017

Mr. David Jonah,

Nigerians might experience yam scarcity in the year 2017 as the present cost of buying the seeds have gone up beyond the reach of many of the farmers who want to buy  for the 2016 planting season.

Food Farm News findings revealed that many of the farmers could not plant enough yams as they used to due to high prices of seeds that have gone up five times the last year price thereby making many of them to opt for other crops like sweet potato.

Speaking to Food Farm News, Mr. David Jonah, a farmer based in kado, Abuja said the yam seeds he used to buy with ten thousand naira (N10, 000.00) to plant about 200 hundred heaps are now selling for about N28, 000.00 saying he and many other farmers have taken to other crop like sweet potato because they could not afford to buy at the current price stressed the development would make availability very scarce in the year ahead adding that government should also give support to this produce like every other.

According to Mr. Johah “What we are buying late last year till January this year at N5.000.00 is now about N14, 000.00. The increase in the price of yam seeds will make the price of yam tubers for the next year very expensive as there will be scarcity because many farmers are not planting this year due to high cost, even those that are planting cannot plant to capacity of what they used to plant. Most farmers are now planting sweet potato to substitute yam”

  

Mr. Jonah therefore urged that government to intervene by making yam seeds available seed to farmers so that it price can be affordable to purchase for full capacity cultivations that would make the price so competitive.

He stressed that he cannot afford to produce yam in 2016 against 2017, and with the rising population of citizens in the country, he stated that yam is much needed as a source of carbohydrate today, staple tuber which is perennial vine cultivated for its large, edible, underground tuber, which can reach up to 120 pounds in weight and 2 meters in length. They are one of the typical tropical crops requiring hot, humid climates and may cease to grow when the temperature dips below 68 degrees F.

Yams are similar in appearance to sweet potatoes, however, they are not at all related to it. Important differences that distinguish them from sweet potatoes; yams are monocotyledons, larger in size, features thick, rough, dark brown to pink skin depending up on the cultivar type. Whereas sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are dicotyledonous, relatively smaller size and possess very thin peel.

Although the tuber is grown throughout Africa, Nigeria is the world’s largest producer, and exporter of yams accounting for over 70 percent of the world total output.

Yam is a good source of energy; 100 g provides 118 calories. Its crunchy edible tuber chiefly composed of complex carbohydrates and soluble dietary fiber.
Dietary fiber help reduce constipation, decrease bad (LDL) cholesterol levels by binding to it in the intestines and lower colon cancer risk by preventing toxic compounds in the food from adhering to the colon mucosa. Additionally, being a good source of complex carbohydrate, it regulates steady rise in blood sugar levels. For the same reason, yam recommended as low glycemic index healthy food.
The tuber is an excellent source of B-complex group of vitamins. It provides adequate daily requirements of pyridoxine (vitamin B6), thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin, folates, pantothenic acid and niacin. These vitamins mediate various metabolic functions in the body.
Fresh root also contains good amounts of anti-oxidant vitamin; vitamin-C. Provides about 29% of recommended levels per 100 g. Vitamin C play some important roles as anti-aging, immune function booster, wound healing, and bone growth.
Yam contains small amounts of vitamin-A, and beta-carotene levels. Carotenes convert into vitamin A inside the body. Both these compounds are strong antioxidants. Vitamin A has many functions like maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin, night vision, growth and protection from lung and oral cavity cancers.
Further, the tuber indeed is one of the good sources of minerals such as copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. 100 g provides about 816 mg of Potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids which helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering hypertensive effects of sodium. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is required for red blood cell formation.
He concluded by say that the scarcity of yam, will affect the feeding mechanism of most Nigerians as many of them might experience health defect due to the lack of carbohydrate.