In the hunt for cheap yams

Yam happens to be one of the most popular food crops in the Southern part of Nigeria, especially here in the Southwest where the tuber is consumed as boiled or fried yam, yam porridge, pounded yam, and several other not-so-popular yam recipes. As the head of admin of a secondary school with boarding facilities here in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, making provisions for the food of the boarding students falls on my desk. At the same time, I need to make the best decision for the school in terms of resources management, especially finances.

Thus, I am always on the lookout for places where foodstuffs can be obtained at cheaper prices compared to the prices obtainable within the local vicinity of the school. This is what led me on an adventure to a village on the outskirts of Oyo state which borders Osun state. In this village, yam is far cheaper than the cheapest it can be obtained within the local vicinity of our school. The village is named "Oko" and can be seen on the Google map below:

^{A Google map showing the location of "Oko" near the boundary of Osun and Oyo state, Nigeria.}

Mind you, our school is located in Ile-Ife, Osun State. In other words, the journey covers about one and a half hours at an average speed of 80 kilometers per hour passing through towns like Moro, Eduabon, Sekona, Ede, Ara, and Ejigbo.

^{Oko market square. This image was taken in front of the school bus, on our way back.}

Why do we need to go that far just to get yams for cheap? Good question. Even though both Ile-Ife, the location of our school, and Oko are located within the Southwestern zone of Nigeria, there are microvariations in climate and soil properties. These variations have profound implications for the kind of plants that be grown optimally in each location. Generally, loose, fertile soils are best for growing yams.

^{A typical yam store at the local market in Oko. Yams are usually displayed and sold in groups. Each group consists of 100 yams. In some cases, fractions of 100 are sold on a pro-rata basis. Depending on sizes, prices of 100 pieces of yam vary from $50 to $80.}

While the soils and climate of both towns are similar in a lot of ways, the difference is likely in the fertility and looseness of the soil, which enables better yield in Oko when compared to Ile-Ife. As a gardening enthusiast who lives in Ile-Ife, I have planted yam a couple of times with a not-so-encouraging yield being the end result.

^{Outskirt of the market. We were just exploring.}

Another factor that seems plausible when it comes to the prices of yam is the fact that the majority of the human population living in Oko are into farming generally, yam being a crop that seems common to many. Thus, it is not only yams that are cheap. Other cheap crops include sweet potato, fruits such as orange, tangerine, cucumber, plantain, and several other crops. In Ile-Ife, a large portion of farming activities are confined to the outskirts of the town and a larger population means that demands will drive up prices of farm produce.

^{A view from the shop we bought yams from.}

^{Another shot of the market square.}

^{Inside the market}

All in all, we bought a yam quantity that could last the boarders for the remaining period in this term (about 9 weeks). We also bought a bag of sweet potatoes which cost approximately $8, a bag of Gaari which cost $18, some peppers, onions, and egusi. We got to the market around 10:00 in the morning and left around 12:45 in the afternoon.

I hope to go back soon and take more detailed pictures with more comprehensive reports of the town.