Increasing funding for research and development on yam will help unleash
the potential of the crop, improve livelihoods, create jobs and enhance food
security in Africa.
According to researchers, policymakers, and representatives from the
private sector at the first ever global yam conference in Accra, Ghana, recent
investments in yam research are paying off, and demonstrating the crop’s
greater potential than what is being realized.
“Sustaining and enhancing funding support for yam research and
development backed by political will are needed to unlock the crop’s full
potential,” said the Director General of the International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga.
He praised the government of Japan, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and
Development (CORAF/WECARD) for supporting IITA on yam research and called on
researchers to develop a vision for the crop.
Known as the ‘king of crops’ because of its contribution to incomes and
food security, yam also has high cultural value especially in traditional
marriages in Africa. However, the crop is under-researched due to low funding
and this has limited the potential of the crop for alleviating poverty.
“If we attract more investments to advance and expand yam research
globally, the anticipated benefits and impacts will be quite enormous,” says
the Ghana’s Minister for Food and Agriculture, Clement Kofi Humado.
Represented by the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Ahmed Yakubu
Alhassan, the minister said that there was a need to “soberly rethink through
research-and-development, and invest our limited resources judiciously to
ensure best results.”
The Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA),
Dr Yemi Akinbamijo noted that in spite of the contribution to food security and
incomes, African crops such as yam have not commanded the attention they
deserved, and have as a result remained underutilized.
“Yams are unexploited in several aspects: actual yields are lower than
potential, utilization is low for instance in animal feeds, and potential for
diversification of yam products among others is unexploited,” he said.
Commending IITA for its contribution to yam research and development, Dr
Akinbamijo said that the key to unlocking the potential of yam lies in science
and technology and empowerment of the producers, marketers, and consumers to
take advantage of what research offers.
According to him, “the challenge is to mobilize the investment required
to conduct research and develop the yam value chain into a profitable
enterprise for small and large-scale operators alike.”
The Global Conference on Yams provides a platform for stakeholders to
explore recent innovations in yam improvement, share lessons learned, identify
research and development needs, and develop global alliances.
Dr Robert Asiedu, IITA Director for Western Africa, and the Convener of the
Conference said that the event provided a platform for consultation and
development of a global strategy for improving the yam sector based on genetic
enhancement; crop protection and mitigation of risks due to pests, diseases and
climate change; conservation of genetic resources; prevention of postharvest
losses; improved seed systems; crop diversification; and enhancing industrial
potential of yam and improved market access.
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The ultimate goals of the event are to establish a global alliance for
yam improvement; gain more investments to advance and expand yam R4D agenda
globally, and contribute to the strengthening of R&D capacity and human
resource development for sustainable yam improvement.
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