RA 00183.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

Survey of Groundnut Agronomic Practices
in Niger
B. J. Ndunguru 1
Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) was introduced to West Africa by Portuguese traders and was
cultivated in Niger before the end of the last century. Since its introduction in Niger, groundnut
production has gone through three stages: expansion (1930 - 59), upsurge (1960 - 72), and
decline which started in 1972. Guaranteed markets, use of improved varieties, fungicides,
and phosphate fertilizers contributed to increase in production. The upward production trend
was reversed when France guaranteed to purchase only a certain quota of the produce every
year. This, coupled with 1973/74 drought that wiped out the groundnut crop, and the severe
rosette epidemic in 1975 and 1987, made it impossible to reach peak production levels.
Presently Niger's production target is to sustain an appropriate level of self-reliance in food
production. We conducted a survey in the major groundnut-growing areas in Niger during the
1988 cropping season.
The aim was to obtain information that can be used as benchmark data from which
changes in basic farm operations can be measured and to identify development constraints
and/or opportunities.
S u r v e y
R e s u l t s
Land Preparation
Groundnut was generally grown in small plots, less than about 1.5 ha. Generally over 8 0 % of
the groundnuts are grown in rows on the flat, at a row-to-row distance of 40 to 50 cm and a
plant-to-plant spacing of 30 c m . Around Tara, Department of Dosso, about 3 2 % of the
farmers grow their groundnuts on ridges, which are normally made with animal traction.
Seed Source
Three seed sources were identified: 1) purchases from cooperatives; 2) purchases from the
market; and 3) stocked seeds from previous harvests. The percentage of farmers purchasing
seed from cooperatives was high (50%) in Maradi and lowest in Tahoua (20%). The percentage
of those purchasing seed at the market was highest in Tahoua (60%) and lowest in
Zinder. In Zinder, 5 6 % of the farmers stocked their own seeds whereas in Dosso, only 4 6 %
stocked their own. On the whole, 3 3 % bought their seeds from cooperatives, 3 0 % from the
market, and 3 7 % stocked their own.
1. Principal Groundnut Agronomist, ICRISAT Sahelian Center, B.P. 12404 Niamey, Niger (via Paris).
Citation: ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics). 1991. Summary Proceedings of
the Second ICRISAT Regional Groundnut Meeting for West Africa, 11-14 Sep 1990, ICRISAT Sahelian Center,
Niamey, Niger. Patancheru, A.P. 502 324, India: ICRISAT.
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