NAN-AE-1
Mechanisation
By Ginika Okoye
Abuja, July 17, 2017 (NAN) The Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria has appealed to the Federal Government to equip their members nationwide with machines to boost production for export.
The Secretary General of the association, Alhaji Isa Adams, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.
Adams said that making the equipment available to yam farmers would enable them meet both local and export demands for the crop.
Cue in audio 1 (Adams)
“We are collaborating with the government and telling the government to find a way of mechanising farming and you know what it means now for every farmer to till the ground.
“About training, we are still collaborating with IITA.
“It wants to know the number of farmers we have, how big their farms are and the number of seedlings that they are going to give us.
“ The training will commence very soon. We are part and parcel of the committee that launched yam export.
Cue out audio 1
He expressed optimism that yam production would be surplus by 2018 once the mechanisation needs of farmers were met.
Adams noted that at least 29 states of the federation currently produced yam.
He described as untrue reports that yams are expensive in the market at the moment because of the growing export market for it.
Cue in audio 2 (Adams)
“This is not the season for yams; even the seedlings are off the markets now. Everybody has taken yams as seedlings to the farms.
“Within the next two months you will see yams coming to the markets and the price will go down.
“At this period, yams are always expensive because it is the old ones that are being sold; but the new ones are not yet out.
“When the new ones come out, the price will go down.’’
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The secretary general advised yam farmers make optimum use of their yam farms to boost production as ready market for the crop existed.
“The awareness has gone to the farmers at the grassroots and they now know the essence of the produce.
“The window has been opened to grow the produce now and we will do that,’’ he said.
NAN recalls that the Federal Government on June 29, launched the exportation of yams to Europe and the United States of America (USA). (NAN)
GINI/YEE
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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim