Root and tuber crops. Benue State is the world’s leading producer of the most important root and tuber crops. Root and tuber crops include yams, sweet potatoes, cassava, Irish potatoes, and carrots.
There are several varieties of yams common to Benue. They include white yams, water yams, yellow yams, aerial yams, and cocoa yams.
Yams are cultivated in all the state’s senatorial districts. While yams are majorly grown in all the 14 Tiv-speaking local areas of the state, the 10 leading yam-producing Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Benue include Ukum, Konshisha, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Gboko, Tarka, Buruku, Guma, Kwande, Ushongo, and Vandeikya. The distribution of yams produced is in the order of the LGAs.
For cassava, the 10 leading LGAs are Vandeikya, Gwer East, Gboko, Ushongo, Buruku, Ogbadibo, Okpokwu, Otukpo, Kwande, and Tarka.
Sweet potato is obtainable in large quantities in Vandeikya, Kwande, Gwer East, and Ushongo, while cocoa yam is predominant in Benue South Senatorial District.
The most important root and tubers – yams, cassava, and sweet potatoes – can be obtained from Benue all year round. There is the peak season for yams and sweet potatoes, though – harvest season.
During harvest (December to February), tubers are always cheaper, especially from local farmers, compared to when yams are in storage (March- July). The opening price of yams this harvest season is the lowest in the last 10 years. Ditto sweet potato.
Transportation, storage, and processing facilities, as well as fluctuations in atmospheric conditions due to climate change, are among the problems in the production of root and tuber crops in Benue State.
The sweet Benue yams are transported bearing names of the buyers who come from across Africa to Markets in Zaki Biam (Ukum), Gungul (Konshisha), Ugba (Logo), Gbor (Katsina-Ala), Akpagher (Gboko), Wannune (Tarka), Daudu (Guma), Akerior (Ushongo), Ihugh (Vandeikya), and Tyowanye (Buruku), for markets outside Benue State and Nigeria.
While input prices continue to rise, farmers have faced low prices and low patronage, raising fears about the fate of these categories of farmers.
Practically, yams are everywhere now in Benue State. It’s a huge investment opportunity in either yam flour or Amala.
If you are looking for sweet yams to buy, look no further and make haste to Benue, the Food Basket of the Nation, for your sweet yams.
