Over 1,152 farmers selected from across Nigeria who participated in the wet season national demonstration trails carried out by African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) and National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) on the recently released genetically modified cowpea are confident Nigeria’s quest for self-sufficiency in beans production can be attained.
Some of the farmers who spoke to Nigeria Tribune said the performance observed during the trials is a pointer to the factor that in no distance time, Nigeria will be able to attain self-sufficiency in beans production as well as supply the West African sub-region.
Other farmers also pointed out that with the early maturing and disease resistance of the PBR beans, it will go a long way in ensuring that investment on farm materialises after harvest.
When Nigerian Tribune spoke with Godwin Okoye, who is a beans farmer in Enugu State, he expressed optimism that with enough PBR beans seed, he would get a good harvest next farming season.
Okoye who has his farm located at Udi Local Government of the state said from the little he cultivated this year, he got a good harvest.
The 53-year-old farmer said that farming is his major source of livelihood. He said he hopes to re-roof his house which leaks each time rainfall from the money he would make from the sale of beans next planting season.
Mgbokwere Eugenia an extension worker of the African Agriculture Technologies Foundation in Enugu State, said the performance of the beans during the trial caught the attention of passers-by.
Eugenia who covers Udi Local Government Area of the state said though they planted 4 meters by 4 meters of PBR beans, the harvest was very encouraging and surpasses that of the local variety.
She, however, noted that from the trial, a lot of requests were coming from individuals requesting for the seed to plant this coming wet season.
“The performance is very marvellous and the growth is encouraging and people who saw the beans performance on the field were very interested in getting it.
“Because it was planted along the road passers-by were surprised and asking us which variety of beans we planted, in fact, it attracted a lot of farmers because they were surprised that this kind of beans can grow in this area”, she noted.
She said from the 4 meters by 4 meters which is about 4 ridges they planted, they harvested about 2kg of beans, unlike the local variety that will not give up to that yield.
“We planted 4 meters by 4 meters, when we harvested, there was no stain on the seed, the harvest is very good, you can’t compare it with the local one, because when you harvest the local one, you will see many diseases that affected it, but this one, there is no disease on it.
“We harvest 2kg from the farm which has about 4 ridges, unlike the local variety that would have given lesser yield because of disease attack.
She requested that farmers in the South-Eastern part of the country be given enough seed in the next planting season.
She said another farmer; Sunday Emeka who is 34 years old, had concluded plans to secure admission into the university as he prepares land to cultivate about 4 hectares of PBR beans next planting season.
She said the farmer after seeing the performance of the beans on the farm was optimistic that when he cultivates the beans on a larger land would yield more results.
In Akwa Ibom State, Janet Ekpo who is the extension agent for Nung Atai Odobo in Okobo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State said the 5 meters by 5 meters of PBR beans they cultivated performed very well.
She said so far, 7kg of beans have been harvested from a section of the farm, while the remaining portion would be harvested by next week.
Ekpo said after seeing the performance, over 20 farmers have declared interest to cultivate this crop by the next farming season.
“The PBR beans performed very well, the farmers cultivated 5 metres by 5 metres hectare of beans, the beans performed very well, so far we have harvested about 7kg of beans from the farm and we are still harvesting.
“The yield is very encouraging and some people have been asking us for the seeds so that they can plant.
“Due to the performance of the cowpea, over 20 farmers have declared interest to plant the crop next season, they are very delighted and they need more of the seed,” she said.
One of the farmers who participated in the trial, Udoh Emmanuel said that by the next planting season, he would clear up to two and a half hectares of land with the plan to set up a business for his 28 years old wife.
Emmanuel who is 38 years old and a father of 2 children said he hopes to earn a living from planting this beans variety and forget about pursuing white-collar jobs.
“I have been applying for a job at the local government council for over 5 years but I have not been selected, I know with these beans I can take care of my family, open a business for my wife so that she can support me in running the family”, Emmanuel said.
Beans which is a legume crop serve as the major source of protein for many households in Nigeria. These PBR beans was developed specifically to resist Pod Borer pest and as well increase yield per hectare.
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