By Blessing Enagu
The Cross River State Government in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), has concluded a statewide Train-the-Trainer workshop on modern seed yam production techniques, equipping over 400 participants drawn from the three senatorial districts of the State to cascade knowledge to farmers in their respective communities.
The week-long training programme which was handled by the State’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development, commenced in Calabar for the Southern Senatorial District, proceeded to Ikom for the Central Senatorial District, and culminated over in Ogoja for the Northern Senatorial District, bringing together key actors across the yam value chain, including agricultural extension officers, supervisors and directors of agriculture, as well as other stakeholders from various local government areas.
The training focused on seed yam production technology, particularly the yam minisett technique (YMT), which enables farmers to multiply planting materials efficiently by cutting tubers into smaller treated setts. Participants were also trained on best agronomic practices such as proper land preparation, spacing, mulching, weeding, soil fertility management, use of improved disease-free varieties, and storage techniques to ensure the production of healthy and affordable seed yams, as well as the adoption of improved technologies such as tissue culture, semi-autotrophic hydroponics (SAH), vine cutting, and minisett multiplication.
Speaking at the closing session in Ogoja Council Hall, the Chairman of the Implementation Committee and Director of Finance and Supply in the Ministry, Dr. Nicholas Obun Dan commended participants for their active engagement and enthusiasm throughout the training, urging them to effectively utilize the knowledge acquired and extend it to farmers within their communities.
He reiterated the commitment of the Cross River State Government, under the leadership of Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, to transform yam production from subsistence to a commercial enterprise through strategic seed multiplication initiatives.
Dr. Dan noted that the programme was also designed to address the long-standing challenge of inadequate access to quality seed yam, which has constrained productivity and disclosed that the State Government has procured improved yam seedlings from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), now delivered to the Ministry, with distribution already underway.
Dr. Dan further highlighted complementary interventions by the government, including the procurement of 108 mini tractors to ease land preparation and promote mechanized farming across the state. Encouraging participants to maximize available opportunities, he urged them to form or join cooperative societies to benefit from the tractor acquisition scheme or take advantage of the Ministry’s tractor hiring services, as well as engage beneficiaries of the mini tractor programme within their localities. He concluded that adequate budgetary provisions have been made to support farmers in the state, while appreciating Governor Otu’s visionary, people-first leadership which continues to yield tangible benefits.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Ogoja Local Government Council, Hon. Chris Agbeh, welcomed participants and commended the initiative, describing it as timely and impactful. He assured support to ensure that step-down training will be organized for farmers within the area and disclosed plans for future value addition, processing of yam and its derivatives. He also commended the State Governor, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the IITA team for their collaborative efforts.
Also speaking, the Chief Trainer from IITA, Dr. Pelemo Olugboyega emphasized the readiness of the institute to support the establishment of a functional seed yam multiplication centre in the state, noting that such a facility would serve as a hub for sustained training, research, and dissemination of improved technologies. He added that, following the training, a significant number of farmers are expected to organize into community-based seed producer groups, register with the relevant regulatory bodies, and be linked to seed companies to enhance access to markets and improve the overall seed yam value chain.
In separate feedbacks, participants expressed satisfaction with the practical and technical knowledge gained during the training. Moses Arembang, a yam farmer from the Central Senatorial District, and Esther Ella, a yam farmer and representative of Dazzle Women and Youths Empowerment Initiative, expressed their excitement and outlined plans to expand their yam production and venture into seed yam entrepreneurship. Esther Ella further disclosed that a step-down training for women and youths in her association would commence in earnest, alongside the establishment of a demonstration farm.
The State Chairman of the Yam Farmers Association, Mr. Peter Egorp, encouraged yam farmers who are yet to identify with the association to do so. He appreciated the State Government for the laudable training and noted that the association is strengthening the value chain with plans to elect ward executives across the state. He added that the training would enable farmers to produce sufficient seed yam for commercial purposes, thereby reducing the challenges and risks associated with sourcing seeds from neighbouring states.
With the completion of the statewide train-the-trainer workshop, the Ministry is working out modalities for the seamless distribution of different varieties of the state government-procured yam and water yam seeds, as well as traceability measures and certification processes for the trainees, all aimed at positioning Cross River as a major yam-producing state and boosting food security.
The training also featured practical field demonstrations facilitated by the IITA team and technical directors of the Ministry, including the Director of Extension, Elder Ubi Obeten; Director of Agricultural Services, Mr. Ubi Ubana; Director, Public-Private and Development Partnership, Mr. Simon Ayim; Director, Soil Management, Mr. Brian Ugbe; and the Head of Value Chain Development, Mrs. Maryann Ogar.
