In a significant stride toward improving food security and enhancing the livelihoods of yam farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in collaboration with West Africa’s NARES (National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems), has developed and released 24 climate-resilient yam varieties with high food quality.

With the aim of ensuring widespread access to these high-quality yam varieties, the IITA AfricaYam Project has initiated a demand creation trial.

The demand creation trial (DCT) strategy seeks to deepen the impact of the IITA AfricaYam Project among the yam-growing population of Sub-Saharan Africa. Under this approach, IITA collaborates closely with farmer groups, employing a shared responsibility model, with the institute providing the seeds and the farmer groups taking charge of providing land, preparing the land, planting, and maintaining the crops until harvest.

The pilot work for the DCT began in 2022, focusing on the states of Niger, Nasarawa, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Oyo, and Osun with the expectation to bring research outputs closer to farmers and end-users.

In Nigeria alone, nine yam varieties were released through the National Variety Release Committee (NRVC), with the remaining varieties released in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, and Ghana. Four of the released varieties belong to the water yam category (Akuabata, Delight, Wonder, and Va yam), while five are white yam varieties (Favourite, Nagode, Super, Blessing, and Sunshine).

In a major improvement over the previous year, the 2023 Demand Creation Trial expanded its reach to Ekiti, Kwara, Ondo, and Ogun States, and this has yielded promising results. In Oyo State, where four Local Government Areas (LGAs) were reached in 2022, an additional seven LGAs were included in the 2023 DCT. Osun State currently leads in terms of the number and spread of IITA-released yam varieties. Over 100 farmers across eight LGAs now have up to 500 plant stands derived from the 2022 and 2023 DCT exercises.

Farmers who had accessed IITA varieties in 2022 were provided with seeds from the joint multiplication plot, enabling them to plant these high-quality yam varieties on their farms. The expansion of the DCT to more locations and Local Government Areas (LGAs) has garnered enthusiastic support from farmers, promoting the varieties and establishing successful partnership strategies within their respective environments.

The impact of IITA’s climate-resilient and high-quality yam breeding program is gaining widespread acceptance among various stakeholders, including NGOs, farmer groups, and neighboring communities. The positive response to these varieties has not only been limited to theoretical support but has also translated into immediate business impacts. Notably, Oyo and Osun states have recorded sales of Va yam and Akuabata to other associations, enabling them to join the diffusion train and benefit from these improved varieties.

Furthermore, farmers across multiple locations have expressed their interest in accessing the white yam varieties and have been assured by IITA that delivery will commence in 2024. The outreach efforts have extended beyond the immediate regions, with IITA actively contacting more NGOs and government agencies, such as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), to popularize and disseminate these released varieties in the North Central region.

The successful implementation of the DCT has led to the formation of partnership business models among some farmers, with a focus on achieving mega-scale yam production for both industrial use and export purposes. These developments highlight the potential for further growth and a positive impact on Sub-Saharan African yam farming communities.