Commercial soybean production is exp anding fast in Borno State of Nigeria. Several farmers in the southern part of the State are adopting the production of the crop for food and for income generation as well as for soil fertility improvement and control of the parasitic weed, Striga. Commercial soybean production was first introduced to farmers in the area in 2004 by IITA scientists and partners under a project known as Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in Borno (PROSAB), being funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
During a recent trip to the area, several communities that hitherto never planted soybeans have become major producers of the crop. Large hectares of farml ands planted to soybean were noticed in PROSAB Project communities and adjoining villages of Miringa, Buratai, M andra-grau, Ngwa, Shaffa, Marama, Vinadam, Tilla, and Nggabu. Farmers have also embarked on commercial production of soybean at Gashina, Guwal, W andali, Nzuda, and Sabongari. Elated farmers always spoke of the positive impacts of soybean on their livelihoods, when asked why they embarked on soybean production.
James Buba, a 35-year old father of three, is one of such promising soybean farmers at Nggabu, a small village in Hawul Local Government Area. Narrating his success story, James said “I harvested 4.2 tonnes of soybean from my 2 ha farm last year, and made a profit of N184 000 (about US$1500) on soybean sales.” This is a feat in an area where poverty stares the people in the face. Majority of the community members live in mud-bricked houses.
“… This year, I have doubled my soybean farm and I expect about 6 tonnes to make more money”, James said . Before now, food and family income are derived mainly from maize, sorghum, and millet, or from cowpea and groundnuts, but soybean is fast taking over from these other crops as food and income generation. James has built a new two-bedroom apartment with a detached store and kitchen block, all roofed with corrugated iron sheets, (a sign of wealth in the village). He also bought four work bulls to improve his farming activities.
Beaming with smile, his wife with baby strapped at the back said “I have just come back from the farm to prepare some soy-food for my kids”. The weaning food is a combination of sorghum and maize fortified with soy-milk. This is definitely a new life for James and family. “Every woman in the village now extracts milk from soybean, thanks to PROSAB”, says the young lady. The children in the compound look well fed … the exact opposite of children found in most rural settlements in other parts of Nigeria with thin limbs and protruding bellies, signs of malnutrition.
Because of the success of James, there is now a healthy competition among members of the community to grow soybean: his parents, brothers, women members of his local church, and the youth have all joined community-based organizations (CBOs) to have easy access to credit and other inputs to support their farming enterprises. Nggabu village has become a Mecca of some sorts to neighboring communities who troop in there to buy improved seeds and train in soybean production. James was a lead farmer with PROSAB for two years, but he has now graduated to become a soybean seed producer. In the PROSAB farming hierarchy, farmers are first registered as CBO members, and then through participatory research and extension approach, those who do very well and are active move up to become lead farmers. They are trained to train other farmers in new farming techniques. Later, they become seed producers to sell improved seeds to other farmers to ensure sustainability of improved productivity when CIDA withdraws funding from PROSAB.
With the ever-increasing soybean production in southern Borno since 2004, large scale oil-seed processing companies and their agents have included the PROSAB Project area in their annual crop surveys to assess the production potential with a view to buying the produce after harvest. In a chat with Dr Paul Amaza, PROSAB economist, he says efforts are being made to source for more buyers in order to avoid a glut of soybean production in the area.
Borno State has one of the harshest farming environments in Nigeria. Rainfall lasts only three months and not more than 600–1000 mm. Soils are poor, while Striga parasitic weed infestation often makes farmers ab andon their farms. But with the intervention of PROSAB, the fortunes of the farmers are being turned around, especially with the introduction of improved soybean production and utilization and other improved crop technologies and management practices. Apart from providing quality food and income for farmers, soybean improves soil fertility and suppresses Striga. The result is that more hectares of l and are being put into soybean and other crops on yearly basis.
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