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Importance Of Agriculture In Nigeria

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Agriculture constitutes the main source of employment and livelihood for the majority of the world 's poor Meijerink and Roza (2007). Therefore, the importance to invest more in the agricultural sector has been raised so as to raise productivity in agriculture. Hence, agriculture is a major contributor to the growth of any given nation in all the many sectors of growth, it plays tremendous roles in the nation’s economic development, such roles includes; provision of food for the teeming population, provision of raw materials for industries (Adams et al., 1992). The importance of agricultural sector to the Nigerian economy cannot be over emphasized. It used to contribute 65% of the gross domestic product (GDP) to Nigerian economy in the 1960s, the contribution has dropped to about 26% in the recent times (Oluyole, 2010). Yam is one of the widely grown arable crops in Nigeria and many parts of West Africa. Andrew et al. (2002) established that yam is a principal source of nutrient calories for several millions of people. Yam is of paramount importance in the diet of the people in West Africa and Nigeria in particular. Yam provides over 200 dietary calories per capital daily for over 150 million people in West Africa while serving as a crucial source of income for the people (Babaleye, 2003). Out of the numerous root tuber crops that we have in Nigeria, yam is greatly preferred because of its peculiar characteristics, which makes it attractive to small holder farmers, it has
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