INVEST MORE INTO YAM RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT - IITA

By Zulaihatu Abubakar

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), one of the worlds’s leading research partners working to find solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty, has held its first global conference in Accra, calling for more investments into yam research and development.

According to organisers, 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.

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.

Researchers, policymakers, and representatives from the private sector have noted that, recent investments in yam research are paying off, and demonstrating the crop’s greater potential than what is being realized.

In his address, the Director General of IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, noted that sustaining and enhancing funding support for yam research and development backed by political will are needed to unlock the crop’s full potential.

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 been limiting the potential of the crop for alleviating poverty.

A deputy minister for Agriculture, Hon. Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, who represented his sector Minister, noted that, if the agricultural sector is able to attract more investments to advance and expand yam research globally, the anticipated benefits and impacts will be quite enormous.

According to him, 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 as well as empowerment of the producers, and urged 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.”

Dr. Robert Asiedu, IITA Director for Western Africa, and the Convener of the Global Conference on Yam 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.

The ultimate goals of the event are to establish: (i) a global alliance for yam improvement; (ii) gain more investments to advance and expand yam R4D agenda globally, and (iii) contribute to the strengthening of R&D capacity and human resource development for sustainable yam improvement.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.

Its award-winning research for development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries.

IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit-making organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees.

It also works on crops like cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, cassava, and maize. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.