YAM IMPROVEMENT FOR INCOME AND FOOD SECURITY

IN WEST AFRICA

YIIFSWA PROJECT REPORT

AT THE ANNUAL PROGRESS REVIEW AND WORK PLANNING MEETING

(15TH

-18TH

FEBRUARY, 2016)

BY

DR. KING DAVID AMOAH

(NATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR-ECASARD)

GHANA

ECUMENICAL ASSOCIATION FOR SUSTAINABLE

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

(ECASARD)

INTRODUCTION • This report covers the key activities carried out by Ecumenical

Association for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (ECASARD), Ghana in Pru and Atebubu-Amantin districts in Brong Ahafo Region as part of the Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) financed by Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation through International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)-Ibadan Nigeria.

objectives • The main objective of this project is to increase yam productivity to

improve income, livelihoods and food security for one thousand (1,000) smallholder yam farmers in 25 beneficiary communities.

• The project also aims to increase and produce quality and healthy seed yam within the two districts through the Minisetts technique.

• This will help prevent the continuous transfer of diseased seed yams

• . The project also seeks to increase the income of yam farmers within the two districts by adopting and practicing the Minisetts techniques for seed yam production which help reduce the high cost involved in yam cultivation, since purchasing of seed yam for yam cultivation by farmers takes over 50% of the total cost involved in yam production in Ghana for which Pru and Atebubu Districts are not exemption.

PLANNING MEETING • On the 18th June, 2015, there was a planning meeting held by

ECASARD Project staff and some members of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture from Pru District at EREDEC Hotel, Koforidua in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

• The meeting was chair and led by national coordinator of ECASARD in the person of Dr. King David Amoah.

• The purpose of the meeting was to plan and get set for the YIIFSWA Yam Minisett Project in the Pru and Atebubu-Amantin Districts.

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND SENTISATION AND TRAINING

FIELD DAYS AND TRAININGS

• Three (3) Field Days organized during the Project Period for farmers under the YIIFSWA Yam Minisett Project.

• First Field Day

-Cutting, Treatment of minisetts and Planting of minisetts

• The farmers were taken through practical demonstration on yam Minisetts technology. They were taken through activities such as good tuber selection, cutting of yam tubers into Minisetts, seed (sett) treatment with 1 milk tin (100g) of fungicides ( Mancozeb 80% WP) and 1 tomato tin (70 ml) of insecticides (Chlorpariforce) in 10 litres of water.

• The Minisetts were gathered in baskets/ nets and immersed in the mixture for 5 minutes for air dry under tree for 1-2 hours before planting. Some of the seed yams were not treated and were planted on the same day with the treated Minisetts for future comparison.

• Ridges were made in 20m x 20m demarcated field. 19 ridges were planted with treated Minisetts and 1 ridge planted with untreated Minisetts.

• In all the demonstrations and trainings, farmers were actively involved in the processes and activities.

The pictures below show the seed dress for the yam Minisetts demonstrations.

insecticides (Chlorpariforce) fungicides ( Mancozeb 80% WP)

Farmers making Yam ridges at Bomoden

Cutting of ware-yam into Minisetts and treatment of Minisetts.

Women planting seed yam at Adaprasi and Bomoden

Second and Third Field Days The activities includes:

• Good Agricultural Practices such as staking, weed control, Diseases and Pests identification, Control and Management.

The purpose of organizing the field days were as follows:

• To help farmers know, observe and discuss the importance of Practicing Good Agricultural Practices such regular weeds control and good staking.

• To assist farmers to be able to identify infected yam plants

• To educate farmers not to re-plant infected yam seed identified in order to reduce the rate of re-plant infected seed yam, hence to increase productivity

Outcomes, Observations and Lessons learnt by participants (farmers) present at the field days organized, include; • Farmers confessed they never believe that the yam Minisetts could

sprout after planting since the sizes were very small to them, they were surprised to see good sprouting of the Minisetts.

• Farmers were surprised to observe the fast growth performance of the yam Minisetts.

• It was observed that setts treated with chemicals sprouted nicely and greener than untreated ones.

• They also identifies disease infected plants and they tag them. • Treated yam setts grow faster than untreated ones. • farmers also learnt to stake their yams as they observed that those yam

plants with stakes were growing faster and looking nice than the non-staked ones.

• Farmers (participants) present also agreed to provide good staking for yam plants based upon the observation made during the field days

A STAKED MINISETTS YAM FIELD AT ADAPRASE AND KOFI-BASARI

IN THE PRU DISTRICT.

A PICTURE SHOWING FIELD OFFICERS INTERACTING WITH A

SECTION OF FARMERS PRESENT AT SAWABA FIELD DAY.

Forth Field Day (Harvesting ) Harvesting sorting of harvests

Weighing of harvests

CLEAN AND HEALTHY TUBERS PRODUCED FROM TREATED MINISETTS.

UNTREATED MINISETTS HARVESTED TUBERS INFESTED WITH SCALE INSECTS AND MEALY BUGS.

MAMAKOMBA-WHITE YAM PUNA

D. ALATA DENTE

DENTE-(WHITE YAM)

• OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNT FROM FIELD DAYS

• Treated Minisetts produced clean and healthy tubers (seed yams) while non-treated setts produced seed yams that were infected with scale insects, mealy bug, holes, termites, tuber rot and cracks. No crazy roots were observed.

• The average bigger size tuber produced from the Minisetts was 2.5 kg.

• In all 1,131 yam farmers, 790 male (69.85%) and 341 female (30.15%) participated in yam Minisetts demonstration conducted.

• Women participation in field activities were encouraging as they were present in all activities undertaken in their respective communities. Farmers shown high interest to adopt the yam Minisetts techniques in the year 2016 farming season.

ADOPTION OF YAM MINISETT TECHNOLOGY BY SMALL TO MEDIUM SCALE YAM FARMERS • Farmers in 18 yam growing communities (selected for the YIIFSWA initiative) have

been trained to produce healthy seed yams.

• Previously, farmers in the operational areas used to hunt for seed yam from market-preferred varieties – Pona, Laribako, Denteh, Mamakumba, Serwa and Water yam.

• Farmers used to travel between 50 and 100 kilometers to other communities, districts or regions to purchase seed yam. The beneficiaries now have the skills and understanding to produce their own healthy seed yams through Minisetts techniques.

• About one thousands, one hundred and thirty one (1,131) yam farmers have been trained and are willing to adopt the Minisetts techniques in their operational areas. From the on-farm demonstration conducted in the year 2015, it is hope that the adoption of the Minisetts technology will has the potential to increase the income of small-scale yam growers.

• The initiative will also reduce the cost of production by at least 50 % (cost of seed yam). The Minisetts technology will increase farmer profit as healthy and numerous seed yam would be produced through the Minisetts techniques.

• The results from the YIIFSWA Project show that yam Minisetts technology will enhance food security through production of seed yam. The rate of adoption of the yam Minisetts technology will increase if the following issues are addressed:

• Yam farmers are trained in Minisetts technology

• Farmers are linked to credit facilities to enable them finance additional expenses that goes with adoption of Minisetts technology

• Farmer Based Organization, Farmer Groups and farmers who have experience in yam production should be targeted.

• Scaling up adoption of yam Minisetts technology will make seed yam available in sufficient quantities, accessible to yam farmers, increase yam yields (thus making food available) to enhance food security and framers' income.

CONSTRAINTS AND CHALLENGES

• The late on-set of rains and early cessation of rains was challenge to the conduct of demonstration in all the communities.

• The problem of cattle destruction was issue that was discussed in almost all the beneficiary communities. This has affected some of the demonstration site in terms of distance. In some of communities, we have to move the demonstration site far from the community to secure the site from Fulani cattle destruction.

• We have to transport farmers to and from some of the demonstration sites during field days due to far distance of the demonstration sites.

• Difficulty in getting farmers to part-take in field day activities as a result of uncertainties such as funerals in communities sometimes.

• The delay disbursement of project funds was the major cause for the late siting of the demonstrations fields

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION • The information gathered in the fields and farm communities shows that

farmers are enthusiastic about the adoption of yam Minisetts technology. Almost all the farmers’ who were present during the field days showed interest to adopt the practice of yam Minisetts.

• The farmers’ participation in the on-farm activities and field day are encouraging as some have to leave their farm activities to part-take in field days.

• Women participation in field activities was encouraging as they were present in all activities undertaken in their respective communities.

• Farmers shown high interest to adopt the yam Minisetts techniques in the year 2016 farming season.

• Despite anticipated positive effect of the availability of yam seed, almost all the selected yam farmers who have the potential of expanding as commercial seed yam growers have no improved storage structures.

• Efforts to increase productivity should therefore address the problem of storage.

THANK YOU