Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,151,021 members, 7,810,827 topics. Date: Saturday, 27 April 2024 at 04:19 PM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Agriculture / Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? (1739 Views)
Nigeria To Export Of 480 Tonnes Of Yams Monthly / Nigeria Will Start Exporting Yams To Europe In June 2017 – Agric Minister, Ogbeh / The Yams I Bought To Eat Have Started Growing In My Room (2) (3) (4)
Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 1:59am On Feb 17, 2016 |
About the Author Prof Felix Nweke's book, Yam in West Africa, is now off the press. Prof Nweke has been Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nigeria, senior economist at IITA, and visiting professor at Michigan State University, among other positions. In 2012, he received a lifetime achievement award for leadership in tropical root crops research. Get more information about the book at http://msupress.org/books/book/?id=50-1D0-33DA. http://msupress.org/books/book/?id=50-1D0-33DA
|
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 2:00am On Feb 17, 2016 |
There is a chapter in the book on Yams in Igbo culture. The man is a proper political Yam ''economic-scientist'' |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 2:09am On Feb 17, 2016 |
Source BBC For Nigerians currently feasting on and celebrating the yam harvest with carnival-like festivities, the starchy tuber is more than a food staple. Traditional fertility and marriage ceremonies are not carried out in the south-east of Nigeria unless a big unwieldy yam - which can weigh up to 70kg (150lb) - is presented. Instead of growing yams, Igbos have embraced trading. They are now only celebrating yams and not growing it Felix Nweke, Economist This is why the Igbo people refer to yam as "the king of crops" and August and September are a time for traditional dances, drumming, masquerades and dressing up in village squares. "From my great grandfathers, yam has always been celebrated because it is very important to us," said Mary Eze at a new yam festival in the village of Ukpo Dunukofia in Anambra State. "We can pound yam, we can boil the yam and when we eat we have a lot of energy," she added, boasting of its versatility. Yams are a primary agricultural commodity across much of West and Central Africa where tubers are planted between February and April and harvested 180 to 270 days later. Annual yam festivals are also observed at this time in other African countries as the tubers of the early maturing varieties are harvested and delivered to markets. In Ivory Coast, for example, funerals and burials are delayed in some communities until the local yam festival has been observed to underscore the importance attached to the crop. Pest pressure But there are fears for such traditions as the cultivation of the crop, consumed by 60 million people on a daily basis in Africa alone, is under threat. Yam - King of Crops Image caption Nigeria is the world's largest producer of yams The starchy tubers can weigh up to 70kg An estimated 60m Africans eat yams daily They can be stored up to six months without refrigeration West Africa produces more than 94% of the world's yams Planted between February and April Harvested after 180 to 270 days Can be barbecued, roasted, fried, grilled, boiled, smoked or grated Their harvest marks the farming season's end for the Igbo people Used in traditional Igbo ceremonies "Instead of growing yams, Igbos have embraced trading," says Professor Felix Nweke, a development economist. "They are now only celebrating yams and not growing it." Yam cultivation began 11,000 years ago and the tubers now grow on vines in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, South Pacific and Asia. But farmers in Africa's "yam belt" - comprising of Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast, Central Africa, Cameroon and Togo - produce more than 94% of the world's yams. And Nigeria alone accounts for 71% of the world's total production. Though driving through the country's southern and middle belt regions, one would never know there was a problem. Fields look green and fertile and seem to promise a good yam harvest. Yet experts say yam production is decreasing in some traditional producing areas because of declining soil fertility and increasing pest pressure. "Yam has come under serious threat from pests and is in competition with other less nutritious crops like cassava," says Robert Asiedu, research director at International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in the Nigerian city of Ibadan. Yam bank Another challenge facing yam production is the high cost of labour and there appears not to be enough capital available to farmers for increasing their production. Image caption Small-scale farmers like Thomas Anioji find it hard to get loans Most small-scale farmers in Nigeria are not able to access loans because of a lack of security or track record. This is the fate of farmers at Isu-Awa community in Awgu, Enugu State, who are no longer able meet their family needs because of declining production. "It's so difficult to get support to plant yams," says farmer Thomas Anioji. "I have tried several times to get government loans. They promise to come today, come tomorrow and they never give me any loan." But hope is at hand for the long-term conservation of Africa's yams thanks to an initiative by the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Its scientists say the continent's yam varieties are in danger of being picked off by pests or diseases and common disasters like fire or flooding. This month the trust started an ambitious project to add 3,000 yam samples to an international gene bank at IITA to guarantee the diversity of the crop. "It's really akin to putting money in the bank," Cary Fowler, the trust's executive director, said in a statement. "All crops routinely face threats from plant pests, disease, or shifting weather patterns, and a country's ability to breed new varieties to overcome these challenges is directly tied to what they have in the bank, not just in terms of financial resources but in terms of the diversity in their crop collections." Using the collection, scientists hope to able to find disease-resistance traits with higher yields - key to improving farmers' fortunes
|
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 2:13am On Feb 17, 2016 |
There is a chapter in the book on Yams in Igbo culture. The man is a proper political Yam ''economic-scientist'' grin grin grin grin grin https://muse.jhu.edu/books/9781609174743
|
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by Wadasco(m): 2:16am On Feb 17, 2016 |
this I is another fraud |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by Sibrah: 2:27am On Feb 17, 2016 |
Try the Benue people and see for your chestbeating self. No be only King of Yams na King of Cocoa Yam. When ZAKI BIAM is there for your ignorant self to consider, you Ignored. |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 2:28am On Feb 17, 2016 |
Wadasco: You are unintelligent 1 Like |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 2:29am On Feb 17, 2016 |
Sibrah: Those folks neither celebrate yams nor have anybody intelligent enough to document yams. 1 Like |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by Sibrah: 2:53am On Feb 17, 2016 |
igbobuigbo:Have nobody? Common grow up. |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 3:36am On Feb 17, 2016 |
Sibrah: Mention one person from those parts who can string together a story (based on science, economics and culture) on yams that can be published internationally like this book. |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by Sibrah: 3:42am On Feb 17, 2016 |
igbobuigbo:I recommend you peak milk and good sleep. |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 3:54am On Feb 17, 2016 |
Sibrah: I bet you have no one. Buddy, give it up already. |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by chriskosherbal(m): 3:59am On Feb 17, 2016 |
Of course |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by Flexherbal(m): 4:02am On Feb 17, 2016 |
The yam and the goat. |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by iSlayer: 4:25am On Feb 17, 2016 |
igbobuigbo: Of course the numbskull couldn't answer the question. |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by maishai: 3:16pm On Feb 17, 2016 |
Champs dont make noise, If you want to know the king of yam, try benue and Taraba.....you will be suprised |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by maishai: 3:16pm On Feb 17, 2016 |
Champs dont make noise, If you want to know the king of yam, try benue and Taraba.....you will be suprised |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 6:23pm On Feb 17, 2016 |
maishai: But who is talking about just producing yams here? A non illiterate should've known that in this thread we are not talking merely about yam production , but its production, ''celebration'', ''owning/imbibing it'', and documenting (aka the whole story) it as no other group has done, YET. Tell me whether Taraba and/or Benue have new yam festivals that are as world acclaimed as that of the Igbo (hence my use of ''political kings'' of yam), let alone documenting them. Anyways, many Nigerians are illiterates (as exemplified by your post) hence the argument over a simple matter. |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by maishai: 9:09pm On Feb 17, 2016 |
igbobuigbo: Anyway, I hope you buy the book documenting it literate one |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 9:20pm On Feb 17, 2016 |
maishai: The more you look................the blinder you become |
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by igbobuigbo: 10:40pm On Feb 17, 2016 |
Stacks of yam in a barn in Igboland. Date 1939 Source: © The Trustees of the British Museum https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205594061122154&set=gm.935018026605354&type=3
|
Re: Are Igbos The Political Kings Of Yams in Nigeria? by maishai: 2:46am On Feb 18, 2016 |
igbobuigbo:OK O! I DON GREE. Enjoy your thread, bye |
(1) (Reply)
We Buy MORINGA Seeds @ Reasonable Price / 40 Hectares Farmland Available For Sale In Keffi Nasarawa State / N350k Per Acre Virgin Farmland For Sale
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 43 |