Umuaka farmers set to embrace yam cultivation in bags.
3 min read
Madam Nneka Osisioma has always been interested to be a farmer all through her life. When she was growing up, her father used to be a popular yam farmer whose harvest always emerged the biggest in town. Nneka as the first daughter of the family was never lazy in following her dad to farm. The dad was very lucky because he had vast farmlands and even had more to lease to others. As time went on, Nneka got married to a man who also loved yam farming but had the challenge of having no farmlands. This really made the couple to seriously drift from their farming business and took to another business.
Just recently, Nneka was among one of the women an NGO built their capacity on how to cultivate yams in sacks. After the capacity building program, Nneka went home and impacted the knowledge to her husband. Two weeks after, the couple got over 3000 sacks which they used for their first yam cultivation using sacks. Just two months after the entire process, Nneka could not hide her joy when she met an Umuaka Times reporter who inquired about the new process.”Sir, I am totally happy over what has happened. My husband and I have no farmlands and we so much like farming. For years we were just there doing nothing until a few months ago when I was introduced into this method. It is so beneficial that there is nothing like weeds. The labour and rigours associated with cultivating yams in sacks are so minimal.”
The above experience by Mrs Osisioma (not her real name) has shown to the world that change is indeed constant. Many people in Igboland and across the nation have developed the interest of cultivating yams in sacks. Umuaka Times was reliably informed that more than 45 farmers in Igbo-Ukwu, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State were trained on how to cultivate yams in sacks, by an illustrious son from the community, Professor Uchenna Nwosu. The celebrated Professor did the empowerment “as a way of encouraging land economy and cultivation of yam in large quantities for food sufficiency.”
In Edo State, farmers who implemented the method confirmed that the new method of yam cultivation using sacks proved effective and sustainable.
In a recent report by News Agency of Nigeria, several farmers who also confirmed that the innovation would sustain food sufficiency in the state and have enough to transport to other states across the country. An Edo based farmer, Mr Sunday Obichukwu, the Chief Executive Officer of Fairworld Farms, told newsmen that he had been able to cultivate about 25,000 yams in sacks in the last 3 years and the result has been amazing. He also went further to talk about the gains of using fertilizers in sacks. “When you introduce fertilizer into the sacks, it stays there and the yams get all the fertilizer unlike the conventional way of planting where you introduce fertilizer and it is washed away by rain.”
Another verdict Umuaka Times came across with was from Mr Golden Ameme who is the National Vice-President, National Association of Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers in South-South Nigeria. He described the new method as cheaper than the conventional method. He also told reporters that the new method had been brought to the notice of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to officially adopt the innovation.
As the innovation of cultivating yams in sacks is gaining momentum across Nigeria and Igboland, it is important for farmers, religious bodies, social clubs and more to introduce this method in Umuaka for Akalites to benefit from the innovation. A high profile Akalite who lives in Northern Nigeria, told Umuaka Times last week that he tried the method last year 2021 and the result was amazing. He confirmed to Umuaka Times that he has fully prepared to embrace the method this year. Many other Akalites have indicated their interest to start the yam farming in sacks but the only problem they seem to have is see the practical implementation of the process where they will also have the opportunity to ask questions.
