Improving Livelihoods in Rural West and Central Africa through Productive and Competitive Yam Systems R. Asiedu, IITA

Goal The yam sub-sector contributes to food security and poverty reduction in West Africa Purpose Producers increase yield, reduce storage losses, and improve seed supply. Processors and traders target markets for diverse yam products.

IFAD-TAG 457 This is a follow-up to IFAD-TAG 457, which brought together teams in each of five countries (Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte dIvoire) to work on major problems of yam production from 2000 to 2004.

Objectives of TAG 457 Increase the availability of: technologies for improving/maintaining soil fertility and for managing pests (including weeds) and diseases in a sustainable fashion improved varieties of the major cultivated species of yams in West Africa improved postharvest technologies

Principal Implementing Agencies Centre National de la Recherche Agronomique (CNRA), Cote dIvoire Crops Research Institute (CRI), Ghana Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Benin (INRAB), Benin Institut Togolais de Recherche Agronomique (ITRA), Togo National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Nigeria

Collaboration with other institutes Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Benin Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS), Cote dIvoire Natural Resources Institute (NRI), UK/ South Pacific Yam Network (SPYN)

Links with other Projects Root & Tuber Improvement Programme (RTIP), Ghana Root & Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP), Nigeria Programme pour Developpement des Racines et Tubercules (PDRT), Benin Marketing and Local Initiatives Support Project, (PACIL), Cote dIvoire INCO-Yam Postharvest Project (West Africa) IITA/GTZ/CSIR Seed Project (WASDU/WASNET)

Germplasm Evaluation of local landraces Bénin: 150 accessions C. dIvoire: 266 (141 D. alata & 125 D. rotundata) Ghana:251 (125 & 126)

Germplasm Delivered by IITA to Partners CountryNo. D. rotundata clones Benin C. dIvoire Ghana Nigeria Togo

Farmer participatory evaluation Bénin: 19 farmers 41 genotypes 5 sites C. dIvoire: 300 farmers 6 genotypes Ghana: 88 farmers, 48 genotypes, 3 districts (on-farm) 90 farmers, 100 genotypes 3 sites (on-station) Nigeria: 54 farmers, 54 genotypes, 6 states Germplasm

Varietal releases –Nigeria (3 in 2001; 4 in 2003) –Ghana (3 in 2005) –Cote dIvoire (first inspection) Final stages of testing water yam in Nigeria for formal release (at least 15 ADPs involved) Germplasm

Economic advantages of using healthy seeds in yam cultivation (Togo, Nigeria) Farmers Perceptions and factors associated with willingness to adopt hot-water therapy for disinfecting seed yams Seed Health

Process that led to the proposal workplan and progress review workshop at Parakou, north Benin Republic in February, 2003 (coordinators of all three root crop investment programs attended) in-country stakeholder workshops and document reviews (organized in Ghana in April and Nigeria in May 2003 by RTIP and RTEP, respectively) SC meeting at Umudike in June 2003 to produce summary of priority areas for the proposal drafting and submission of proposal

Participating Countries The five countries in TAG 457 (Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte dIvoire) and Cameroon The addition of Cameroon, facilitated by knowledge of formulation of a country programme on root and tuber crops there, completed coverage of the yam belt. These six countries account for 92% of the worlds annual yam production of about 40 million metric tons

Towards Implementation Proposal approved in September 2004 Stakeholders workshop in November 2004 Call sent out in December 2004 for proposals for small grants from potential partners for execution of selected project activities A three-member Research Advisory Committee (RAC) will apply published guidelines in evaluating proposals. The coordinator of PRONAF has already kindly agreed to serve on the committee to bring in some inter-TAG benefits.

Criteria for assessment: (i) co-financing by IFAD investment or other development projects (ii) scientific quality, (iii) clarity of strategy for participation of potential end- users (especially women and the poor) and for feedback, (iv) feasibility of proposed sub-project within a three-year time frame, (v) research attainment or experience of the researchers on the subject (multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional teams are preferred) (vi) portability of value-added opportunities outside the Project area.

TAG and Country Programmes Joint planning and monitoring of activities plus co- financing Technologies developed in the TAG will be much more likely to be tested and disseminated through the investment programmes. 5.3% of total TAG budget (ca. $26,000 per year) allocated to facilitating the links with IFAD investment projects. Funds are allocated for national level coordination, including partial funding of national workshops on yams, in order to enhance in-country collaboration in yam research and development.