| Sumario: | Yam (Dioscorea sp.) is a staple food and plays a crucial role in food security across West Africa. It is widely consumed in both rural and urban areas. However, significant challenges threaten, such as declining yields, seed rot, soil fertility loss, as well as climate change. In response, various agricultural research institutions and farmers have adopted strategies to ensure year-round availability of high-quality yam and promote good agricultural practices.
This Market Intelligence Brief highlights the innovations and technologies identified through a literature review and field survey conducted among yam producers, traders, and consumers in the following zones in Benin: Dassa, Glazoué, and Tchaourou. The findings revealed major constraints in yam production and processing, especially the seasonal unavailability of preferred varieties such as Laboko, Kodjewe, and Efourou, which are crucial for preparing pounded yam. Other varieties such as Aga and Ofegui are less valued at harvest
because of low culinary quality but gain value after a few months of
storage.
To overcome these challenges and stabilize income, farmers have adopted strategies such as intercropping and the use of drought-tolerant, multi-cycle, and storable yam varieties that meet consumer preferences. These changes imply new directions for breeding programs, such as the following: adjusting quality thresholds (e.g., yield) and incorporating new criteria such as storability, ease of seed dissemination, and processability; and evaluating D. alata hybrids for their potential in pounded yam processing, as some lines show promising agronomic and culinary traits, despite not being initially selected for this use.
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