From Desmond, Kano
Amina, daughter of Garba Bakaniki, is married to a middle-aged farmer in Yaryasa, Tudun Wada Local Government, Kano State. For months, she has watched with interest the new variety of cowpea introduced to farmers in thevillage, observing how these modified seeds have become a life-changing phenomenon for farmers and sellers.
The harvest is bountiful, its vulnerability to pests is minimal and its market value is higher than that of the traditional cowpea, she noted. At a point, she could no longer keep the secret to herself. She decided to share the story with her father and siblings back home in Faskar Wambai. She gathered the new wonder seeds and dispatched them to her father. And that was how the amazing story began.
Ado Garba Riruwai, an extension agent in Tudun-Wada Yankaji, Kano, said that was how the new cowpea was renamed “Dan Yaryasa” by the local farmers. He was sharing his experience at the one-year commemoration conference of PBR Cowpea in Kano.
He averred that it has been awesome journey so far as the new variety has surpassed its own target: “When this variety was introduced, the farmers were sceptical and about its chances. They, therefore, approached the seeds with caution, unwilling to take a risk for a long while.
“It was, however, not unexpected as it was in the culture of farmers to be doubtful of new varieties.” In this regard, he made untiring efforts to encourage them to farm the new variety of cowpea: “That was how a few farmers decided to take the risk.
“Today, they did not regret their trust as the harvest has turned good. The farmers in my area were very happy and soon after, were joined by farmers from the adjoining villages. Even farmers from neighbouring states soon began to queue up for the PBR variety of cowpea.
“Tudun-Wada Yankadi is a commercial farming town. Farmers come from Kebbi, Yobe and other distant states to buy these seeds and take them to cultivate. The variety is also well received by housewives and women for the economic and qualitative benefits it brings to the kitchen.”
Abubakar Isa, a farmer agreed with Riruwai: “The new cowpea is good for bean cakes of various sorts and for Wena, a local Hausa food. We made a lot of gains from selling the variety compared to the sales of the traditional cowpea.
“Since I started farming this variety of cowpea, I have never taken it to the market. Women and other interested parties would come over to my house to buy. The fact that it swells the fried bean cakes and makes them bigger is added advantage
“If you are selling the cowpea in the market, the chances that you will sell at a higher price are there. Buyers are willing to pay more given its numerous benefits.”
PBR cowpea has come a long way. Farmers, women, agro-seed companies and stakeholders have reacted positively to its introduction and commercialisation.
Executive Director, Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Isyaku Mohammed, explained that the research that gave birth to the genetically engineered cowpea spanned a period of about a decade: “The research was conducted with the collaboration of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and sponsored by a number of bodies.
“Over the years, the insects that feed on the leaves and the reproductive organs of the traditional cowpea plants have become a huge disincentive to farmers, leading to over 80 per cent losses on farmers’ yields.
“Several attempts have been made, but the only most viable means of controlling these insects then remained the use of very harmful insecticides which were not only expensive, but very harmful to our farms.”
Mohammed is the PBR cowpea principal investigator: “There came an opportunity for us, in what is called genetic engineering and what we call in the media genetic modification. This is a rare opportunity where genes that condition good characters that exist outside a species are transferred to the specie.
“The act of genetic engineering makes it very easy to select a character that is helpful, especially in fields like medicine and others and put to good use. That possibility in science was exploited by us. We partnered with AATF and our colleagues in Australia.
“That gave our scientists, led by my humble self in Nigeria then chance, to use those scientific tools to develop this cowpea variety.
“We have tested this variety from the laboratory to the field and farmers have also evaluated this cowpea variety and it turned out to be what we observed right from the laboratory to the field.
“Having been convinced by the performance of this new variety, especially in the hands of farmers, we moved forward to ask for its registration as a commercial variety, which was granted by the Federal Government.
“It was released and registered as a variety and then subsequently it was given to the seed companies to market this product. Today is exactly one year since the commercialisation of this variety and from the feeders we have had, this variety has continued to do very well in the society.
“The seeds of this variety are in very high demand, much more than any variety of cowpea that is in commercial circulation. This has resulted in giving farmers across Nigeria access to these seeds, additional income and a lower cost of production.
“This is because instead of spraying for about eight times, for this new variety a farmer may spray for two times.” He claimed farmers were able to save about N16billion within the years resulting from reduced expenditure on spray of insecticides.
He denounced the rumours being peddled, “especially by those people who rarely know the reality of hunger and poverty. These persons, motivated by their own selfish interests, have continued to dissuade farmers and the unsuspecting public with their unfounded unscientific concerns.
“Before this variety was registered and commercialised, it underwent stringent scientific tests, not only by us, but by the Nigeria regulatory agencies, which subjected it to rigorous tests.
“The variety was only recently displayed by the authorities at an event as being as good as any other variety of cowpea anywhere in the world.”
Mohammed was confident that with time, the performance of the new variety, the reality and testimonies of the local farmers would overcome any disinformation.