Stakeholders in Mumuye land in Taraba State have educated yam farmers on new innovations and techniques in yam farming in order to make more profit.
The stakeholders at a recent yam festival encouraged the farmers to shift from the old method of farming and adopt new method to increase their productivity.
Speakers asked the farmers to embrace modern agricultural technology in their farming activities which will give them high yield and also enable them to make a profit.
The guest speaker at the Festival, Senator Bala Adamu Kassa, said yam is a source of food and livelihood.
Irrigation: Katsina farmers shift from tomato to wheat, cabbage, potato
“We must integrate the agricultural value chain by bringing critical stakeholders in yam production within our community and beyond.
“We must develop ways of processing, storing and efficiently transporting the big quality tubers we produce,” he further stated.
Senator Bala Adamu said under well-established system of production, yam can be packaged and stored for distribution across Nigeria and for export.
He said when this is done, there would be more employment for youths and women in yam-producing communities.
“For us to harness the socio-economic benefits of yam as a crop, we must resolve to tackle technical and strategic challenges associated with its production, processing and marketing,” he said.
He further stressed the need to critically look at production issues such as weed pressure, decline in soil fertility, soil borne pests and diseases, and cost of labour among others.
Similarly, lack of logistics support to deliver crops to the market was also identified as a factor that leads to increased cost of yam production.
Lack of investment in yam processing lowers capacity for value addition to the crop, the stakeholders further identified.
They also advised that demand-driven production should be adopted to enhance the overall economic benefits of yam production in Mumuye community.
It was also agreed that agricultural education through improved extension programme, provision of farm inputs community-oriented Financing should be massively encouraged.
