YAM IMPROVEMENT FOR INCOME AND FOOD SECURITY IN WEST AFRICA

1. 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)

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

7. COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION AND SENTISATION AND TRAINING

8. 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.

9. • 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.

10. The pictures below show the seed dress for
the yam Minisetts demonstrations.
insecticides (Chlorpariforce) fungicides ( Mancozeb 80% WP)

11. Farmers making Yam ridges at Bomoden

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

13. Women planting seed yam at Adaprasi and Bomoden

14. 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

15. 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

16. A STAKED MINISETTS YAM FIELD AT ADAPRASE AND KOFI-BASARI
IN THE PRU DISTRICT.

17. A PICTURE SHOWING FIELD OFFICERS INTERACTING WITH A
SECTION OF FARMERS PRESENT AT SAWABA FIELD DAY.

18. Forth Field Day (Harvesting )
Harvesting sorting of harvests

19. Weighing of harvests

20. CLEAN AND HEALTHY TUBERS PRODUCED
FROM TREATED MINISETTS.
UNTREATED MINISETTS HARVESTED
TUBERS INFESTED WITH SCALE INSECTS
AND MEALY BUGS.

21. MAMAKOMBA-WHITE YAM
PUNA

22. D. ALATA DENTE
DENTE-
(WHITE
YAM)

23. • 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.

24. 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.

25. • 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.

26. 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

27. 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.

28. THANK YOU