Editorial- FG yam export, commendable

YAM

The recently launched yam export to Europe and America by the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh is a welcome development that was long overdue--towards expanding the market space for farmers and foreign exchange earnings for the entire nation. This step is indeed commendable and on the right path at this critical point in time when the value of the naira has depreciated, with resultant high prices of food items.

This launch, followed by the shipment of about 72 metric tons of Nigerian yams to two large continents of the world, has opened a huge profit opportunity to farmers in terms of markets expansion through direct export from the country cum other benefits in terms of foreign exchange earnings to exporters and government.

It should be noted that Nigerian yams have always been exported but through the backdoors of other African countries who came here to buy up the yam tubers, paid in naira and repackage---for example, as Ghanaian yams---for export thereby making huge profit at the expense of Nigeria.

The Federal Government’s bold step to embark on this yam export implementation could not have come better than now when the need to reposition the nation’s economy through economy diversification from oil to real sector has become most imperative.

 This initiative must however not be allowed to suffer a summersault, for any reason, as good policies are wont to do in Nigeria.

We are very mindful of many contrary views to the move made by FG in partnership with some state governments, private registered farms and exporters at this point in time, but what actually makes the decision unique is that government has realized the potential in the yam export and has stood up to correct the anomaly of neighboring countries taking the undue advantage of our negligence to the betterment of their economy.

The minister’s assertion that Nigeria would be targeting eight billion US dollars annually as foreign exchange from yam export alone in addition to job creation for youths and rural farmers, must be followed to a logical conclusion. 

It is encouraging to note that a technical committee headed by Professor Simon Irtwange has been directed to liaise with appropriate Research Institutes like International institute for Tropical Agriculture ( IITA) and National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike for workable sustainability of the policy implementation through improved research technology that will ensure consistency of the policy towards the key 3A-avaliability, accessibility and affordability of food security standard. 

However, we wish to advise that the government must not rest on its oars as it is now out of fashion to be dependent on commodity export only, without value addition: it must look for ways to add value, create a value-chain and export the products like yam flour (instant pounded yam) and elubo and others.

 We are optimistic that the latent benefits will surpass the initial challenges if it is vigorously pursued. And this process of formalizing of export should be made applicable to commodities like kola nuts which are reportedly in high demand in other countries (and are exported through neighboring countries) and pursue value addition, purposely for the export market.