| Sumario: | Yam is the leading non-cereal food crop in Côte d’Ivoire. With annual production about 8 million tons in 2023, it plays a strategic role in achieving national food security. However, the sector faces challenges: population growth, the emergence of competing cash crops such as cashew, emerging diseases, and climate change. Ensuring a year-round supply of quality yams to the market requires innovative approaches, grounded in a clear understanding of production systems, marketing structures, and market segmentation.
This study combines literature reviews and field survey data to (1) provide an overview of the yam sector and (2) analyze market structuring and flow dynamics.
Yam production in Côte d’Ivoire is concentrated in the central and northern regions. The former is dominated by late-maturing varieties, largely destined for subsistence consumption, while the northern region focuses on early-maturing varieties for commercial purposes. The yam market is supplied year-round with seven to eight main varieties, with Kponan being the most in demand. Distribution
involves multiple stakeholders and follows four main types of supply chains, organized across three functional zones: the production
(export) zone, the consumption (receiving) zone, and the redistribution (mixed) zone. Yam prices fluctuate according to seasonality, varietal quality, and the distance between production and consumption zones.
Yams are typically sold by weight or in heaps. One key finding from our survey-based study is that late-maturing varieties have more superior storage capacity than early maturing ones. It is therefore recommended that breeders consider yam storage capacity as an additional key trait during hybrid selection. Hybrids with strong storage capacity, combined with appropriate agronomic practices, could help stabilize market supply while ensuring quality traits valued by consumers.
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