As a yam hub, the Wukari Yam Market in Taraba State is known as one of the most endowed Yam Market in the country where farmers from far and wide bring their produce for better bargains while traders come from across the country and neighbouring Cameroun, Niger and Ghana to make purchases.
NEW NATIONAL STAR correspondent was at the market on Saturday, and observed that no fewer than 100 articulated vehicles of various sizes loaded with yams leave the market daily for markets outside the state and export outside the country. Except on Sundays, everyday is a market day.
Wukari local government area of Taraba State is known as area where Yam are harvested in large quantities. Virtually every one in Wukari farms and harvest yam in a commercial quantities and that’s is why for a long time yam production have been the leading stay of the economy of the area.
Most of t the traders whom our correspondents spoke with asserts that there is no where Yam is produced in large quantities in a country like the Wukari yam market.
Invariably, the market is seating on a 4 hectares of land area. For this season, business activities in the market opened in September and will spans to late June.
The market is a home to all variety of yam known to the African soil, some of which are; Abe-uka, Fakitsa, Aloshi, Humba-kwasi, Ogoja, Gwari, Paper, just to mention but a few.
The market also export yam to all the 36 states of the federation, and since Nigeria rid the country with the large number of yam production, yam exports from this market also leads to all African nation, Asian, North and South America and into Europe
One of the Shed Owners and Yam dealers at the market, Mr. Andokari Tsojon, narrated how the market survives lingering religious and ethnic crises to be a leading figure in yam production in the country.
According to him he said “ The yam market has survived many crises but we sustain it to this point because in our culture here, even if you are a shed owner, you must own a farm. So we have farmers in the market who bring yams for sale, some are also shed owners, we have middlemen who buy and resell, we encourage large quantities of yam farmers across the 10 wards of the local government area” he said.
The market is endowed with a lot of economic activities, ranging from buying and selling of yams, hotel and restaurants, tourism, and petty trading among others.
The market is one among the host of revenue generated to the Taraba state government and was depicted as capable of putting Taraba economy among the top 10 richest state in Nigeria if well manage and maintain.
The yam market is in need of government intervention and restructuring to increase and boost revenue generation. The market need to be upgrade to an international standard and the community of Wukari need a cargo airport or a train station to ease and enhances the transportation of goods and services within the Northeast and Northcentral geopolitical zone of the state.
One of the traders Mr. Charles Nzeogwu from Enugu state says “the Challenges confronting the Wukari Yam Market is lack of storage facilities. Most Yam at the market are stored locally and there is need for modern storage facilities in the area so as to ensure the durability of Yam” he said.
Our correspondent also noted that there is also the need for Yam processing facilities in the area. If the market have these facilities, Yam can be processed in many ways for the usage of the people. Most times the yams in Wukari are transported to far places for processing.
The Market also need upgrading to standards where it can be boast of social amenities. The infrastructural facilities at the market at the moment need improvement.
The Wukari Yam Market is playing a significant role in providing jobs support unity to many people. If enhanced the market stands the chance of providing thousands of jobs to the citizens.