FACTORS AFFECTING THE CULTIVATION AND AVAILABILITY OF YAMS (Dioscorea spp.), IN NIGER STATE NORTH-CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

Yams (Dioscorea spp.) is one of the major food crops grown in Niger State. The crop is grown for its nutritive, economic and social benefits. In spite of all these importance, research on factors militating against its cultivation has been inadequate. Against this background, a survey was conducted on factors affecting it cultivation and availability of the crop in the state. This study was conducted to investigate factors affecting cultivation and availability of the tubers in major producing areas across the state. The study was conducted in Bossso, Minna metropolis, paikoro and Shiroro Local Government Areas. Thus population of eighty (80) peasant farmers and eighty (80), Yam marketers were randomly selected from markets across the Local Government areas under investigation. Four hypothesis were formulated to guide the research work and data collected were analyzed using Chi-Square. The result revealed high cost of Yam seedlings and insecurity are significant factors affecting cultivation of Yams at (p<0.5) in Niger State and this have rejected hypothesis 1 and 2.Consequently the findings showed that seasonal variation and insecurity are significant factors hindering the availability of the tubers in Niger State with value (p<0.05), thereby rejecting hypothesis 3 and 4. It is recommended among others
that farmers should form cooperative society to enable them obtain subsidized loans for individual, group and government to purchase Yam seeds to boost production and subsequent availability in the State and country at large. In the same vein Government should reinforce robust security in production areas to counter the activities of criminals constituting insecurity.