Yam production in Nigeria

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.

[4][5] Yam is in the class of roots and tubers that is a staple of the Nigerian and West African diet, which provides some 200 calories of energy per capita daily.

However, the production of yam in Nigeria is substantially short and cannot meet the growing demand at its present level of use.

It also has an important social status in gatherings and religious functions, which is assessed by the size of yam holdings one possesses.

[1] While yam production issues have been stressed on agronomical practices, a research study carried out on the economic efficiency of this crop grown in this region with small farm holdings, which is labour-intensive, reveals that land, labour and material (fertilizers and chemicals), credit and extension services inputs have a significant bearing on the yield of yam in the region.

A day before planting, the tubers have to be subjected to treatment with wood ash or a fungicide (thiabendazole) to prevent damage to the soils.

Mulching is essential during October–November with dry grass or plant debris weighed down with balls of mud.

[10] Tuber is the main part of the yam plant which has high carbohydrate content (low in fat and protein) and provides a good source of energy.

Its medicinal use as a heart stimulant is attributed to its chemical composition, which consists of alkaloids of saponin and sapogenin.

During this festival, villagers offer prayers thanking their ancestral gods for the blessings of the land and the women's fertility.

One of the marriage custom observed in some communities in Nigeria is to measure the bridegroom's wealth by the amount of yams that he can produce.

Also, according to tradition, the groom has to present a minimum of 200 big tubers of yams to the in-laws as a proof that he can take care of his wife and the future family.