Govt., experts ask farmers to adopt new yam technology

As part of efforts to help Nigeria produce quality yam that will meet up with the standard required by the European market, the Federal Government along sides experts have called on farmers in Nassarawa to adopt the new yam technology as a means to increase quality yam production in the state.

This call was made during a One Day Advocacy Forum on Sustainable High Quality Seed Yam Production For Wealth and Employment, recently held in Nassarrawa state.

Speaking at the advocacy meeting of the Chairman House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. (Dr.) Peter Ibrahim called on yam farmers in the state to adopt the new technology.

Ibrahim said that the project was timely as many of the farmers were not open to the new varieties, but with the workshop many farmers would be able to adopt the new  technology for the increase of quality yam production across the state, as there are plans to have a cargo airport in Lafia, which would also help the exportation of quality yam to other parts of the world.

He added that the new technology would generate more income for yam farmers in the state, reduce unemployment, increase the GDP of the state and also eradicate poverty in the state.

Professor Malachi Akoroda  disclosed that Nassarrawa state in the middle of Nigeria is capable of selling its produce across the country as their land and soil are very good for the production of yam adding that the way the planting of yam is done in the state needs to change as he called on the farmers to adopt the new technology.

He added that the soil in the communities in the state are not the same but can still produce good yam, as what is required is a good agronomic practice by the farmers to produce a quality yam.

He said that local seed demand needs to be locally met and that a seed supply outfit was needed, saying that the Private Public Partnership is also required for the yam production factory to be on ground as government alone could not make the dream come to pass.

Dr. Perpetual  Iyere-Usiahon Department of Agriculture Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, while urging farmers to adopt the new yam technology said that yam was an untapped goldmine  in Nassarawa state, and that the production needed to be taken seriously.

Usiahon noted that Nassarawa state is the third largest yam producing state in Nigeria after Benue and Taraba state, as the state was at a time exporting  over150 tonnes of (paper) yam species to UK, but in 2002 Nassarawa tried exporting yam but there were issues which has brought the YIIFSWA technology to the Nassarawa state yam farmers.

She said: “we are not making as much as Ghana is making from yam export because we have not got it right despite the fact that we are the largest producers of yam in the country. Which has made Ghana account for 94 percent of the yam exported from West Africa.”

She added that in order to get it right like Ghana, Nigeria Farmers needed to consider yam Selection on the basis of their variety, uniformity and size that is not suppose to be more than 2-3kg and that farmers in Nassarawa should also consider the processing of yam as there is no processing plant in the state, as the state is 8% of Nigerians production, stating that the state is capable of producing the quantity that Ghana is producing through the use of clean seed.

The chairman of AFAN in the state (who?) said that it was of a great importance that the farmers in Nassarawa state would  benefit from the new technology brought to the yam farmers in the state, as farmers were already looking for opportunities that would enable them  grow more and earn more.

 (name of chairman) represented by his vice president (name)said that having the technology domiciled in the state would enable the farmers to access the seeds for increased productivity.

A participant who has tried the new technology Dr. Isaac Orgara, lecture Nassarawa state university disclosed that the state is privileged to be part of the phase one of the project, which the trials took place in 39 communities in the state, including Garaku, Lafia,  Ankuza, Agara, Nassara Eggon where some of the participants were able to domesticate the technology in the state as trials were also done in 25 communities in Benue state where loads of seed were produced.

He advised the farmers to adopt the technology as they are now involved in the phase II of the project.