Final version of Tropical Legumes II Project Report for Phase 1 - icrisat

Enhancing Cowpea Productivity and
Production in Drought-Prone Areas of
Sub-Saharan Africa
Christian Fatokun (IITA-Nigeria); Ousmane Boukar; Alpha Kamara; Ousmane Coulibaly; Arega Alene
(IITA-Malawi); Steven Boahen (IITA-Mozambique); R. Bandyopadhyay (IITA-Nigeria); L. Kumar (IITA-
Nigeria); Z. Kouyate (IER); L. Omoigui (UAM); S. Gimba (KADP); Umar Garba (KNARDA); S. Dioffo
(SNV); Robert Abaidoo (IITA-Nigeria); Satoru Muranaka (IITA-Nigeria); Mamadou Touré (IER-Mali);
Moutari Adamou (INRAN-Niger); Mohammad Ishiyaku (IAR-Nigeria); Joseph Mligo (ARI-Tanzania);
Manuel Amane (IIAM, Mozambique)
Socio-Economics/Targeting
Summary
Efforts aimed at raising the productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers should involve developing
technologies that address key production constraints and have the traits that are highly preferred by
various end users. A growing volume of empirical work has demonstrated that farmers are unlikely to
adopt new varieties and other technologies that do not meet their own criteria. While other institutional
and policy factors may hinder the uptake of otherwise profitable crop varieties, addressing the needs and
priorities of smallholder farmers and other actors along the value chain is the necessary condition for
greater technology uptake and impacts. Better technology targeting thus helps investors achieve greater
rates of return on their investments. The cowpea component of Objective 1 thus aims to facilitate the
proper targeting of cowpea breeding activities with a view to maximizing adoption and poverty impacts
of the resulting technologies. Targeting activities largely involve baseline data collection and analysis
(household and market level), trait preference assessment, seed systems and monitoring of technology
uptake processes to better inform breeding and seed dissemination efforts. The baseline studies include
characterization of production systems using household surveys, situation and outlooks for cowpea
using aggregate production and trade data, and identification of priority traits for farmer groups and
markets using PVS. Adoption surveys to monitor uptake and impact should be undertaken following
significant multiplication and distribution of improved seeds of released varieties.
Cowpea facts, trends and outlook
Globally, an estimated 6.5 million MT of cowpea is produced annually on about 14.5 million hectares.
Africa accounts for about 83% of the global cowpea production, with over 80% of Africa’s share
produced in West Africa. With an estimated 45% share of the global cowpea production and over
55% of the production in Africa, Nigeria is the world’s largest producer (and consumer) of cowpea,
followed by Niger (15%), Brazil (12%), and Burkina Faso (5%). During the past three decades, cowpea
production grew at an average rate of 5% annually. With 3.5% annual growth in area and 1.5% growth
in yields, area expansion accounted for 70% of the growth in global cowpea production over the last
three decades. Globally, the share of cowpea in total area under pulses grew from less than 10% in
1990 to nearly 20% in 2007. In West Africa, cowpea occupies over 85% of the area under pulses and
10% of the total cultivated land.
Progress of Phase 1
81