NRCRI woos seed companies to market newly released yam varieties

A yam breeder doubled as coordinator for yam research program, National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Dr. Jude Obidiegwu has asked private seed companies in the country to take the potential advantages in the newly released yam varieties to the market places for the farmers and other end users’ benefit. Dr. Obidiegwu made this appeal after the official registration and release of the three different yam varieties by the National release committee chaired by Chief Oladosu Awoyemi at the conference room, National Centre for Genetic and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Ibadan recently.

Obidiegwu said that the seed companies must take advantages of the opportunity and potentials in the stable characteristics of the newly released yam varieties to revolutionise Agriculture in terms of commercial production for its competitiveness in market, and more economic power to farmers through high yield and potential health benefits especially in water yam.

The new yam varieties being promoted for easy accessibility in the market by the NRCRI coordinator includes one Dioscorea alata, popularly called water yam, and two other white, Dioscorea rotundata, all with slow oxidation characteristic and high yield for commercialization towards food security and export coupled with excellent post harvest in boiling and pounding.

According to him ‘’ today we have additional three varieties, one Dioscorea alata (UMUDa31 (wonder) and two other white yams of Dioscorea rotundata (UMUDr29 (Super) and UMUDr30 (Nagode) that were already registered and release by the national variety committee a while ago.

He stressed that it was a great achievement because farmers would now have access to these varieties, and it would reduce scarcity of seedlings always experienced during planting period to ensure food security and more money to the entire nation, saying that is why we are asking the seed companies to pick up these released materials for commercialization to all the end users.

The NRCRI coordinator went further to state that the three varieties are demand driven as farmers were involved in the selection process, saying that the water yam that was released today can be mistaken for white yam in terms of boiling and pounding.   

The seasoned yam breeder however commended the role of AfricaYam project facilitated by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan for all their support for the research project and other institutional collaborators that contributed to this success story. He commended the effort of Technical Sub Committee headed Prof. O.O Olafajo and the NACGRAB management led by the registrar Dr. Sunday Aladele.

Finally, the commended the effort of the NRCRI management led by Prof. U.J Ukpabi for creating enabling environment for today’s success story, adding that the management of Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) under the leadership of  Prof. Sharabutu was also commended as regards this achievement.