Yam is regarded as the king of farm produce across many communities in Nigeria and some farmers even earn respect and titles from their communities for having the largest, if not the richest, yam barns during harvest. They are revered for their exploits.

Homage is respectfully paid to the ‘king’ of farm produce, with an annual celebration staged in its honour in most communities across the country. In South east region of the country, every community gather to celebrate the ‘king’ of farm produce.

Anambra State recently took the lead, with the state Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, leading his people from across the state to celebrate and pay homage to the ‘king’ of farm produce when they gathered in the Village Square, known as Alex Ekwueme Square, in Akwa, the state, to celebrate the New Yam Festival.

It was a colourful occasion, with pageantry on display as the people were adorned in gaily attires and looking resplendent, as they gathered to celebrate the New Yam Festival, which was also an occasion for thanksgiving and merry making, with a lot to eat, and drink. Indeed, it was a communal feast of colours.

The festival also afforded the farmers in the state to leverage on the celebration to showcase their prowess in the cultivation of yam, as many of the richest yam farmers in the land put up a colourful performance for the people. Large barns of tubers of yams were gleefully display for the delight and pleasure of the people.

It was also a marvel to witness different species of yams, ranging from the regular average tubers to the intimidating and giant size tubers, measuring about three feet high.

Drumming and sounding of the local flute (Ogene) heralded the commencement of the festival, with all the traditional rulers in attendance, with their entourage, colourfully attired in their traditional and ceremonial costumes, adding colours and majestic as well as royalty to the gathering.

Tradition

The celebration of yam in Igbo land is stepped in rich and enduring tradition, as it is regarded as a taboo for any individual in the land to eat or even celebrate the new yam, without the traditional ruler of the community first leading in the staging of the communal celebrate that will then opened the floodgate for the individual to either eat or celebrate the new yam.

A breach of this age-long tradition is said to attract grave consequences to the individual and even the community. Similarly, harvesting new yam when it is not due or going to harvest someone else’s yam is a sin against the god of yam known as Ahijioku.

To appease the god of yam requires one male African dwarf goat, eight Igbo kola nuts, alligator pepper, a jar of fresh palm wine juice, one male African jungle fowl and a bottle of local gin for libations and appeasement of the god and cleansing of the land. In some communities when you harvest someone else’s yam the culprit is mandated to provide eight seed yams to the owner for cultivation in the next planting season.

This indeed tells the level of importance attached to yam in Igbo land. With urbanisation in Igbo land and the shift from agriculture to trade and commerce as well as total reliance now on oil, the number of farmers of yam have drastically reduced and the influence of its too is spiraling with many no longer paying attention to the revered tradition of cultivation and celebration of yam.

Consequently, the celebration has been watered down in a number of communities, especially with people now living in modern city, making it difficult for the people to congregate as a community or wait for the proclamation of the festival by their traditional rulers. This development has brought in new perspective to the celebration, it is now held in cities and also with every community coming together to celebrate as one big family rather down so at individual community level.

It is this development that underscored the importance of the recent celebration of the New Yam Festival by Anambra State when the governor and the traditional rulers gathered together in Awka to celebration as one big family.

Hard work

Addressing the crowd of locals gathered, Soludo stressed the importance of agriculture in the state’s economy, especially the age-long Igbo value of ‘hard work pays.’

The Governor said that the government was committed to encouraging people to farm to feed, which has the potential to create jobs, increase revenue and crash the food prices in the market. According to him, “this is the pre-eminent cultural day we have in Igbo land. We have a special celebration for new yams.

Today, Anambra as a state, officially unveiled the New Yam Festival. Several communities had done so before now. “The symbolism of it is that we are celebrating it as a state. Here, we have the traditional rulers representing the three senatorial zones.

We use this to signify yam as the king of crops. “Some time ago, we launched the farm to feed initiative in the midst of the hunger protest. Complaining about hunger is not the Igbo tradition. “I encourage you to look for a space around where you live and cultivate what to eat. This will reduce the prices and of goods in the market.

Don Onyenji

The Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Entertainment, Comrade Don Onyenji described the event as very significant and meaningful to the corporate existence of Igbos as a people.

This is as he revealed the rationale for the big event this year, “during the event last year, Mr Governor took and expressed interest in the festival and decided to approve for this year’s edition. “This event is important because some of our children don’t know some of these traditions, which informed the event.’’
Best Yam farmer

Amidst the fun fair and merry making, Mr Chigozie Anene, was honoured and celebrated as the best yam farmer in the state. He was also the winner last year, making it two for him in two consecutive years.

Anene’s yams were the largest and the highest in number, for this, he was awarded N3 million prize and a new brand tricycle by the state government.

An elated Anene, delighted and joyous, expressed appreciation to the state government and the people, saying, “This is a challenge for more work and production of more yams. I am highly encouraged.”

Yam bank

Part of the celebration this year was the display of yams at the Yam Bank Exhibition Centre for the viewing pleasure of the people. Leading the tour of the centre, the Chief Of Staff to the Governor, Chief Earnest Ezeajughi, disclosed the importance of the yam bank, which had existed over the years.

The display, he said reminded him of his growing days, saying, “this reminds us of those days and even today about the yam bank and my own father had it and it was from there that he trained all his children including me.

“It is a great thing and a show of accomplishment for every adult male in Igbo land to have a Yam bank and that also shows that you capable of feeding your family and when visitors come to your house they look at your yam bank and the size of your yam bank shows how wealthy you are.’’

Younger generation

Commissioner for Local Government and Town Union Affairs, Chief Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, who mobilised the communities and local government areas for the event, disclosed that next year’s New Yam Festival would have more concepts added to it such as an essay competition among senior secondary schools children on new yam and lecture on New Yam Festival.

“This would increase the drive for our younger generation to appreciate the culture and tradition of our people,’’ he said, adding, ‘‘it would also go a long way to teach those lessons about our ways and means as regard the agrarian life of our people.”

This year’s New Yam Festival climaxed with the rich display of masquerade dance, which is regarded as the king in terms of traditional entertainment by the people of South east.

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