Resource-poor cowpea farmers in sub-Saharan Africa have seen their profits jump by 55 per cent thanks to improved dual-purpose cowpea varieties developed and introduced by IITA and its national partners in Nigeria. Paul Amaza, IITA Agricultural Economist, says that farmers who use traditional varieties earn about US$ 251 per hectare, while those who are growing the improved cowpea are getting US$390, or US$139 more, per hectare with proper crop management.
The improved varieties — IT89KD-288, IT89KD-391, IT97K-499-35, and IT93K-452-1 — produce high-quality grains for use as food and fodder and are also resistant to Striga, a parasitic weed that reduces yields of susceptible local cowpeas by as much as 80 per cent.
Alpha Yaya Kamara, IITA’s Savannah Systems Agronomist, says over 100,000 farmers in Borno and Kano states in northern Nigeria and in the Niger Republic are currently using the improved varieties, where their adoption rate is conservatively estimated at 65 per cent. He explains that farmers in the savannah region view cowpea as both food and cash crop. Therefore, when the varieties were introduced, farmers took to them quickly since they serve both ends well. “Those who cultivate it are basically better off than those who do not”, Kamara adds.
The improved cowpea varieties were developed and deployed in partnership with the Borno State Agricultural Development Project, Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, Kaduna State Agricultural Development Project, the Institute of Agricultural Research – Zaria and the University of Maiduguri. Other local development partners are also promoting the improved varieties by organizing farmers’ field days, exchange visits, training and farmer-to-farmer diffusion.
Niébé (Vigna unguiculata) is a grain legume grown mainly in the savanna regions of the tropics and subtropics in Africa, Asia, and South America. Its grain contains about 25 per cent protein, making it extremely valuable to those who cannot afford animal-derived protein foods such as meat and fish. It is tolerant to drought, fixes atmospheric nitrogen and improves poor soils.
According to the FAO, about 7.56 million tons of cowpea are produced worldwide annually, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 70% or about 5.3 million tons.
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Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter :
Dr Paul Amaza, p.amaza@cgiar.org
Économiste agricole
Dr Alpha Yaya Kamara, a.kamara@cgiar.org
Agronome des systèmes de savane
Jeffrey T. Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org
Chargé de communication d'entreprise (international)
Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org
Chargé de la communication d'entreprise (Afrique de l'Ouest)
IITA – Siège
Ibadan, Nigéria
See also:
Cowpea overview
Cereals and legumes systems
Other IITA cereals and legumes projects:
Development and Promotion of Alectra Resistant Cowpea cultivars
Improving tropical legume productivity for marginal environments in sub-Saharan Africa
Tropical Legume II
Related websites:
Niébé in Wikipedia
Niébé in Alternative Field Crops Manual, Purdue University
À propos de l'IITA
L'Afrique a des problèmes complexes qui minent l'agriculture et la vie des populations. Nous développons des solutions agricoles avec nos partenaires pour lutter contre la faim et la pauvreté. Notre [mot manquant ou « primé »] recherche pour le développement repose sur une réflexion ciblée et faisant autorité, ancrée dans les besoins de développement de l'Afrique subsaharienne. Nous collaborons avec des partenaires en Afrique et au-delà afin de réduire les risques pour les producteurs et les consommateurs, d’améliorer la qualité et la productivité des cultures, et de générer de la richesse grâce à l’agriculture. L’IITA est une organisation internationale à but non lucratif dédiée à la recherche et au développement (R4D), créée en 1967, dirigée par un conseil d’administration et soutenue principalement par le CGIAR.
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