Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Exploring Shifts in Yam Production Trends Along Nigeria’s Southern Region

Abstract

Yam as a staple commodity in Nigeria, remains generally grown in different places within the ecological zones and food hubs in the nation. Notwithstanding all that, being integral part of the nation’s food security in a setting where Nigeria ranks high as the largest producer globally. Still, yam continues to find ample use with essential role for numerous purposes. Classified as an important food crop, the use of yam runs deeper, given its high demands for religious, socio-cultural practices, the economy, industries, and the marketplace. Even at that and considering the vast presence of yams over large swaths of land across the West African region from Ivory Coast to Nigeria. The ecological surroundings in Nigeria’s Lower South zone, contains the critical bio-geoclimatic indicators and microclimate fueling recurrent surge in output. Accordingly, yam crops as revenue generator, employer of work force, and calorie source indispensable to the country and regional menu, occupies essential spot in the popular imagination. This is so, because the tenure and farming of yam carry cultural and social connotations in the lower South region. Even though people see yam as mostly a key source of carbohydrates, existing varieties contain protein as well. The international dominance of Nigeria compared to competitors in the marketplace is quite clear in terms of output and cultivated land areas. As such, within the industry, existing data pertaining to activities therein over the past years affirm record growth and shifts in various land use indices. Accordingly, the study area has seen prevalent applications of agrochemicals, price increments, widespread risks to the surrounding ecosystem, and degradation as well as price uncertainty in transactions. This irony is made worse by the current leakages in policy regarding production capacity in the zone amidst mounting issues, initiatives towards mitigation and productivity. There are also knowledge voids on the actual dispersal forms vital for effective management in the agricultural sector amongst factors situated in the larger regional farm structure. Consequently, this study will fill that void in research by analyzing the state of yam land use in Nigeria’s Lower South zone with focus on the issues, trends, impacts, factors, efforts, and future lines of action. From the analysis, the results point to changes in the form of gains and declines in various yam land use indicators and dangers to the adjourning ecosystem. Also, GIS mappings detected dispersal of trends in space where production and land use changes and fertilizer stayed steady. With variations linked to many socio-economic, and physical forces, the study offered remedies stretching from education to the design of regional yam land resource information system.

DOI

10.5923/j.food.20241401.01

Publication Date

1-5-2024

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