High prices as new yams hit Taraba markets

Farmers have begun harvesting yams in Taraba State but a single tuber was sold as high as N5,000 in the markets.

Our correspondent gathered that farmers in Yorro and Zing local government areas have started harvesting yams but it is beyond the reach of many residents.

In Jalingo, the newly harvested yams are sold in the main market and some locations, including PDP Round.

Daily Trust gathered that a big tuber is sold at between N4,000 and N5,000, a situation that prevented many residents from buying the new produce.

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A yam seller, Mallam Lawal Sule, told Daily Trust that this year’s heat wave destroyed many farms, which delayed harvest. He added that the problem encountered by farmers this year was heat wave, which prevented yam seeds from germinating.

Lawal, who is also a yam farmer, further said that many people whose farms were destroyed by heat could not replant because of high cost of yam seeds.

He also said that late arrival of rain delayed growth, thereby reducing good yield.

He said that last year, harvest started in the first week of June; and there was bumper harvest, but this year, it started at the end of June, adding that there is going to be scarcity of yam. He also said the cost of transportation would make the produce very costly.

He further said that last year, a big tuber of yam was sold between N1,300 and N1,400 at Monkin, Pantisawa and Hawan Mika markets, but this year,  the same seize is sold at N4,000.