Cowpea growers see 55% jump in profits from improved varieties

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.

Cowpea (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.