Yam Storability and Economic Benefits of Storage Under the Modern (underground) and Traditional (Yam barn) Technologies in southeastern Nigeria

This paper examines yam storability and the economic benefits of storage under the modern (underground) and the traditional (yam barn) storage technologies in Southeastern Nigeria. Data were collected mainly from 55 respondents who were interviewed, as well as from measurement of storage parameters on yam tubers stored in 55 traditional yam barns and 11 modern underground yam storage structures. The results show that on the average about 55 percent of the tubers stored under the modern technology and less than 20 percent of the tubers stored under the traditional system remained in a fairly good condition after the fifth month of storage; and the value of storage loss was about N46,231 for the traditional yam barn and N23,951 for the modern storage system per 1000kg of tubers stored under both systems. Hence the value of storage losses under the traditional system was about 55 percent higher than that under the modern system. On the average about 400kg yams valued at N22,280 was saved from 1000kg of yams stored under the modern storage technology for a period of five months. The net benefits would be significantly higher if the full potentials of the modern storage technology are exploited especially in terms of prolong storage which attracts higher revenue from stored tubers. Key words: Yam; storability; modern; ttraditional; technology