Cowpea ready for harvest in Sokoto

Cowpeas, noted to be grown mostly for their edible beans, are almost ready for harvest across Sokoto State with many farmers in the state saying they expect good harvest. The cowpea farmers said 2016 was good for them though they realized more from last year’s harvest due to late start of this year’s rain. A […]

Cowpeas, noted to be grown mostly for their edible beans, are almost ready for harvest across Sokoto State with many farmers in the state saying they expect good harvest.
The cowpea farmers said 2016 was good for them though they realized more from last year’s harvest due to late start of this year’s rain.
A visit to some cowpea farms in the state shows that the plants are looking good for harvest.
In Sokoto State, cowpea production is noted to be more in local government areas that are on the border. They include Ilela, Gudu, Tangaza,Goronyo and Gada.
Over 80,000 farmers are registered under the National Cowpea Association in Sokoto State.
Sokoto State chairman of the association, Mallam Abubakar Mohammed said the challenge they had was delayed rainfall. “However, the harvest seems to be favourable because the cowpea farmers didn’t experience flood and rain is still falling.”
Mohammed, who said the harvest won’t meet the demands in the state, noted the need to bring in more from other states where it is in abundance. He, however, disclosed that to complement the shortfall, the association in collaboration with the state government had sourced improved cowpea varieties.
According to him, the IITA provided the varieties to the association through the Sokoto Agricultural Development Programme and would soon be tested.
“The varieties are suitable for the type of weather we have in Sokoto State and experts have been trained who would also train farmers on how to grow it,” he stated.
The chairman added that the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD also contributed two varieties of cowpea seeds.
He pointed out: “No matter the shortage of rain, the seed still gives satisfactory result and we would not experience shortage of cowpea.”
Mohammed said there is significant increase in cowpea consumption in Sokoto State which he attributed to population increase and the current inflation where people look for cheaper means of diet.
“Many have turned to cowpea and from it they make variety of foods,” he said.