Cocoyam faces neglect

Cocoyam has been identified as one root crop which has the capacity to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers through investment and value addition, but its cultivation is on the decline.

 

The Root and Tuber Liaison Officer at the Directorate of Crop Services, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), George Prah, told the B&FT that the crop, which has been abandoned in recent years, has the potential to contribute to rural poverty alleviation.

Cocoyam, he said, is a cash crop and foreign exchange earner, as well as an important component in the rural development of many areas and individuals. 

“No-body goes into cocoyam production and run at a loss. We have carefully developed a cost benefit analysis and input and the outcome has been profitable. We are abandoning an important crop,” he said.  

“There is the need for government to support the small holder farmers to enable them cultivate the crop in commercial quantities and export to the neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and Cote d’ivoire.”

Mr. Prah confirmed that due to its high nutritional content and demand, the crop is being considered for the national school feeding programme to enrich nutrition for school children.

The root crop is ranked third in importance after yam and cassava, according to sector Ministry’s report and is in direct competition with cassava and yam as a food crop.

But cocoyam has another advantage over the other two; its leaves – the ever-popular kontomire – are an important vegetable on the Ghanaian menu.   

The Crop Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed three new improved cocoyam varieties which are disease resistant and high yielding.

This has been accepted nationwide and could broaden the utilistaion of cocoyam in the country’s food production value chain.

The improved varieties include, “Gye me di”--a purple variety which matures in eight months, “Akyedie”--a purple variety which matures in seven months and “Mayeyie”--a white variety which matures in six months.

Farmers who recently cultivated the new varieties recorded increased yields after harvest.

MoFA’s Crop Services Extension and Research, in collaboration with the West Africa Agriculture Productivity Programme (WAAPP), a World Bank-sponsored project, is disseminating information and supporting farmers with planting materials of the improved varieties aimed at reviving cocoyam farming.

The project, which is in its second phase, spans 2013 to 2018, and involves the dissemination of the technology developed during the first phase of the project.

Bad agronomic practices killing the crop

Mr. Prah observed that the crop is gradually facing extinction due to bad farming practices, excessive spraying of chemicals among others.

“Most farmers spray directly onto the crops. If you don’t spray right, the cocoyam becomes stunted in growth and it takes time before it rejuvenates.”

According to the Agric Ministry, since 2008 there have been persistent decreases in land area and production of cocoyam.  Land area has decreased from 252,000 hectares in 2008 to 19600 hectares in 2012.

Cocoyam production is concentrated in the southern part of the country where there are a lot of forest cover and well distributed rainfall pattern.

The Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Eastern and Western Regions, as well as the Volta Region, are popular for cocoyam production.

Nutritional value

Cocoyam is an important food crop for more than 400 million people worldwide, especially in the tropics and subtropics, and is a major source of vitamin A, Iron, Magnesium and Zinc, which could help in the formation of baby foods and meeting nutritional needs.

It is a good source of carbohydrates and minerals and the leaves have quite substantial amounts of proteins and vitamins. It consists 63.6-72.4% moisture, 21.1-26.2% starch and 1.75-2.57% crude protein and provides total energy in the range of 97.1-118.3 kcal/100 g fresh cocoyams.

The corms have reasonably high contents of potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) and are moderately good sources of water soluble vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin and ascorbic acid, compared to other tropical roots.

Essential amino acid contents are fairly good except for the sulphur containing amino acids such as tryptophan and histamine. 

The leaves are rich in β-carotene and ascorbic acid and have great potential to qualify as good vegetables for hypersensitive, diabetic and obese people due to their anti-oxidant properties.

Cocoyam was introduced to Ghana in 1843 by the West Indian missionaries. It was first planted at Akropong, Akwapim from where it gradually spread through the forest belt, following the cultivation of cocoa for whose young seedlings cocoyam provides ideal shade.