Yam farmers are faced with the consequence of a bumper harvest. The incentives given by government to Ghanaians to turn to increased food crop production and those already engaged in the occupation to do more is paying off. This coupled with the prevailing conducive conditions have occasioned in the impressive yields. We hear the maize story is equally exhilarating.
Indeed the dividends from the flagship agricultural programmes are beginning to be realized; the yam glut is an apt evidence of this fact.
We are nonetheless saddled with the challenge of a glut; our unpreparedness rendering us helpless in the face of this reality. A fortnight ago, farmers in the Atebubu area of the Brong Ahafo Region were furious and still are; the economic forces of supply, an excess of it, and a relative small market have overwhelmed them. In the face of the excessive yield and a relative small market, prices are in a downward spiral and it is telling.
We are furious too anyway because turning the fury on government is a wrong thing to do. The forces of demand and supply cannot be controlled under the circumstance. The prices can only be controlled when the supply is reduced but with perishable farm produce such as yam, such an intervention can be disastrous.
The programmes of government when they are fully operational could provide adequate and efficient response to the situation. The ‘One District One Factory’ programme could not have come at a better time. We urge government to put all the necessary facilities for the value addition to such perishable items like yam and others – especially as this would tie in with the flagship initiatives as already mentioned.
Yam chips and powder are some of the products which can be produced from the fresh tubers of the farm produce. The yam producing areas of Northern Volta, Northern Region and Brong Ahafo Region should be ideal places for the production of the aforementioned products which can be sold on the local markets and abroad. The ‘One District One Factory’ comes in handy.
The Council For Scientific And Industrial Research (CSIR) should be linked to the flagship programmes because it has the wherewithal for adding value to most if not all farm produce in the country. The issue of yam glut with sufficient funding for this scientific institution would not arise at all. We have learnt about how the CSIR is producing cassava powder for the production of kokonte and gari from tubers of cassava.
It is our wish that by next year when the bumper harvests are replicated in other areas of food and cash crop production, the story of glut would be a thing of the past. Let the furious yam farmers take it easy as plans are made to contain a future glut of their produce.
Policymakers should consider the yam glut situation and respond as per the foregone suggestions.
Source: Daily Guide
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eii Ghanaians,we behave like the children of Isreal,they pray God give us bread and He gives them bread, after a while they say we are fed up with bread give us meat,then meat comes after that we are fed up with meat and the response is there is too much meat,so what do we want,we must begin to show appreciation for small things so God can bless us with BIG THINGS.
so what did these yam seller want the government to do. to build yam to produce what yam chips or mash yam. we are in yam season, every season there are a lot of yams in the market and they cheap. everything in Ghana is politics. eiii Ghana. but no matter what haters do Ghanaian will not listen, only the free SHS has captured Ghanaians mind.
CRASS PROPAGANDA!!! It is the yam season as usual!! Yam is in Abundance!! It is no result of a FAILED government policy!!! Mind your business and stop trying to ***barred word*** everybody!