By Daniel Obagha
As Anam yam farmers in Anambra and Bayelsa States round off yam dressing season called “Ikwa Ji” in their diaclect this June, hopes are high that there will be bumper harvest of yam starting from July next month.
This is as a result of early arrival of rain fall on time which made yams to grow fast.
A tour of Anam farm camps from Egwe Oroma, Ochii, Ukpo Umuobalije, Egwe Odekpe, Anam Camp and Patti Camp in Anambra and Bayelsa States on June 20, by Mr Daniel Obagha of Ministry of Information and Value Reformation Anambra State, revealed that many farmers were expecting bumper harvest due to early arrival of rainfall.
According to a seasoned yam farmer at Egwe Odekpe in Ogbaru LGA Anambra State, Chief Onwuameze Nnoruka, the yams they were dressing were planted in December 2025.
“What we are doing now is called ‘Ikwa ji’. It is a process of removing the withered yam we planted in December Iast year and also removing one of the two yams it produced, leaving one of them to grow to a big tuber of yam.
“For it to grow well, we prepare the ground soil very well to facilitate fast growth. Ikwa Ji starts from the month of May and ends in June. But some people continue it till July,” Nnoruka explained.
He expressed hope that there would be bumper harvest of yams this 2026.
“Yes, our yams are doing well this year due to early arrival of rains. At a time we started begging God to reduce the volume of rain because it was becoming too much. So, unlike last year, 2025 when we experienced late arrival of rains that resulted in poor harvest, we are expecting bumper harvest of yams this 2026.
“2025 was very bad. The rains came late and before we knew it, flood had come forcing us to harvest our yams prematurely. But there will be improvements this year because the rains came earlier.
At Anam camp in Bayelsa State, Chief Anthony Okafor-Muoba expressed happiness that 2026 would be better.
“Here in Bayelsa State we are expecting tubers of yam from ending of June or early July because we experienced early rain this year unlike last year,” he said.
He, however, lamented that they spent a lot in buying herbicide.
“The only problem we have is that we spent a lot on herbicide,” he said.
Chiefs Ignatius Nduba of Egwe Oroma -Etiti, Ogbuevi Nneke Okoye at Ukpo Umuobalije, Odikpo Izoba at Ochii, Umuoba Anam in Anambra West LGA Anambra State and Patti Ikem at Parti Camp in Sagbama LGA Bayelsa State and other Anam farmers interviewed were all expecting bumper harvest of yams.
Daniel Obagha is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
