Notes to Broadcasters on yam dieback:
Date Posted: March 31st, 2008
As this story mentions, almost 70 per cent of the world’s yams are produced in Nigeria. In fact, more than 34 million tonnes of yams are grown in Nigeria each year, making the crop a vital source of food and income. Yams are also important crops in some other West and Central African countries, especially Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Benin. If you broadcast in an area where yams are produced, your listeners will have special interest in this story. However, all farmers are concerned about crop diseases that could affect their livelihoods. And diseases that affect staple crops are of concern to everyone.
You may refer to the following websites for more information on yams and yam diseases:
-The website of Nigeria’s National Root Crops Research Institute:
http://www.nrcri.org/
-An article by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) on yam production in Africa:
http://www.iita.org/cms/details/yam_project_details.aspx?zoneid=63&articleid=268
-An IITA research paper on virus and viral diseases affecting yams in sub-Saharan Africa:
http://www.iita.org/cms/details/virology/pdf_files/128-136.pdf-A Nigerian recipe for yam porridge with fish:
http://www.imdiversity.com/Villages/Global/Global_Kitchen/NigerianRecipes.asp
Your listeners may also be interested in one of the following scripts about crop diseases. (To look for scripts about specific diseases that may affect farmers in your area, visit http://www.farmradio.org/english/radio-scripts/pest.asp for a list of all past DCFRN scripts on pest management.)
“Understanding Crop Diseases” (Package 72, Script 2, September 2004):
-“Radio spots: Can you control pests without pesticides? ” (Package 72, Script 3, September 2004)
You may also wish to host an on-air discussion about disease management at your radio organization. Guests could include local farmers, local agricultural extension officers, or other experts on local agriculture and pest management. Questions for discussion may include:
-What are the most important staple crops in the area?
-What diseases affect these staple crops? Do farmers know how plants become infected with these diseases?
-What disease management techniques have farmers found effective?
-In what other ways (such as crop diversification), may farmers protect their food security in case their staple crop becomes infected?
