PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF YAM PRODUCTION

ABSTRACT

Nigeria is by far the world’s largest producer of yams, accounting for over 70–76 percent of the world production. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization report, in 1985, Nigeria produced 18.3 million tonnes of yam from 1.5 million hectares, representing 73.8 percent of total yam production in Africa. According to 2008 figures, yam production in Nigeria has nearly doubled since 1985, with Nigeria producing 35.017 million metric tonnes with value equivalent of US$5.654 billion. In perspective, the world's second and third largest producers of yams, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, only produced 6.9 and 4.8 tonnes of yams in 2008 respectively. According to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria accounted for about 70 percent of the world production amounting to 17 million tonnes from land area 2,837,000 hectares under yam cultivation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION      

Background to the study

Statement of problems

Research question

Objective of study

Significance of study

Scope of study

Limitation of study

Definition of terms

CHAPTER TWO     Review of Literature      

Yam Agricultural System

Environmental requirement

Cultivation

Sowing

Weeding

Staring

Fertilizer application

Harvesting

CHATTER THREE 

Methodology

Study population

Sample size

Sample techniques

Instrument

Method of data collection

Analysis of data

CHAPTER FOUR   

Data presentation, analysis and interpretation

CHAPTER FIVE    

Summary, conclusion and recommendation

Summary and major findings

Costly labour

Discussion on the findings

Conclusion

Recommendation

REFERENCE  

QUESTIONNAIRE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

       Definition of yam problems (discoral supp) yams means many things to most people. To the farmers it is edible root tuber crop, which generate his income for the up-keep of his family and himself. It has helped raised the standard of living over the years. The oxford dictionary describe yam as a starch tuberous root largely replacing potato as a staple food in many tropical and sub-tropical countries of the world. Yam belongs to the botanical genes discovered, but there are very many species of great importance in West Africa.

The white yam (Discoreal rotonlata) 

The water yam (Discoreal alata)

The yellow yam (discoreal caganesis)

Lesser yam (D. bulbfery)

Trifoliate or three leave yam (D. dumetorum)

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

       The edible yams are root crop groom on a field scale for the tubers. They provide staple carbohydrate food in the yam zone of west Africa, where daily consumption is 0.5, 1.0kg yam need a great deal of labour for their cultivation and to prepare them for food and they are usually expensive to buy for normal human consumption, the field or peal, sometimes after partial boiling in west Africa, they are usually eaten as pounded yam which is prepared by pealing cut up yam and boil before pounding them in a wooden mortal to produce a glutinous dough (pounded yam).

       The chemical composition of yam tuber is as follows:

Water            70%

Starch            25%

Sugar             1%

Protein           1.2%

RESEARCH QUESTION  

       Yams have high starch content and low amount of protein yam has an important role the social religion life in the yam eating areas of West Africa. In Nigeria this was associated with religious count, which has a priest hold. Annual festival was helded at planting and harvesting and was later known, as the new yam festival was the most important celebration of the year. Discorea species are widely used in traditional medicine in Africa and Asia. The tuber of some wild Spp contain steroidal sapogenias related to the sex hormones and conticosteriod. These now provide a source of diosgenin, which is use to the manufacture of oral contraceptive bere hormones and conbsone.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY 

       Yam production in Edo State have hither to received security attention from research workers and students, the main reason for this is that people are ignorant at the importance of yam production in the state.

       One of the present day problems of yam production in Edo state has not been encouraging, the people regard the production of yam in the state as fit for only poor and the illiterate. Illiteracy is regarded as a passport to shirt and tie job in town.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

       Yam is a notable for its importance in human life.

       To ensure it’s confined existence with better performance

To ensure the awareness of people to the need for development of a positive attitude towards the production of yam in Oredo Local Government of Edo State.

To improve the quantity and quality of yam production in our local government area of Edo State.

To make people understand better effective and efficient modern methods of producing yam in the state.

To find out why yam is not cultivated in lorry scale by the farmer in Edo State.

To identify the different condition favourable for yam production in Edo State.

The existence of yam is threatened by cassava production if care is not taking the survival of yam doubtfully.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

       This product works is centered on the production of yam in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.

       The problems associated with yam production in Edo State and ways of finding solution to the problem encountered by the farmers.

DEFINITION OF TERMS 

       This research of work or project should be centered on definition on the problems and prospect of yam production in Edo State. However, due to the complex nature of the villages in Edo State, some selected villages in the state are Edogbo Oregbani and Asoro