Sahabi Mainasara a 42 year old beans farmer in Sokoto state said he was contemplating on leaving bean farming until one of his friends introduced him to SAMPEA-20T, a new variety of beans that had just been released by the Institute of Agricultural Research, Zaria.
“I had just cleared the field where I usually plant my beans but was not convinced on why I should plant beans when in the last few years, I had made nothing but debts from investing my little resources in planting beans.
Some months ago, a friend mine, Ishaq Jabo told me about this new bean and with pressure from my wife I decided to try it,”
“Since I harvested the beans, I have gone to thank Ishaq Jabo countless times because I have never seen anything like this. In a matter of 70 days, the beans is ready, the harvest is unbelievable.
“I have contacted the headmasters of the schools that my children dropped out of that my kids are coming back as the proceeds from the sales of just one farm site is enough to settle all outstanding school fees and even pay for next term,” Mainasara said..
Nigeria beans farmers over the years have been at a loss as they keep planting the same variety of beans which has long maturity time, low yield and susceptible to insect pest attacks.
Worried about farmers’ plight and in a move to improve the yield of beans, the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF) in partnership with scientists at the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, developed a beans variety called the Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) beans.
With this commercial release, beans farmers in the country received the beans variety while the AATF trained Extension Agents worked directly with the farmers in their fields.
In Tambuwal Local Government of Sokoto State, North-West Nigeria, Ishaq Jabo, who is an extension worker for the PBR beans and also the friend of Mainasara, said farmers within his areas of coverage were recommending this new beans variety to their colleagues.
Jabo works with beans farmers in eight communities in Tambuwal Local Government Areas which include Alasan, Tambuwal, Maikada, Shinsiri, Kagara, Rasi, Kaya, Danyali.
He said some days back, about two farmers who were not part of those demonstrating the beans on their farms visited him, asking for the beans variety so they could plant during this dry season period.
He also said that after the demonstration at the farms, other farmers who were not also part of the selected ones for demonstration took the harvest away after seeing the performance on the field.
“Farmers are recommending the variety to their colleagues, recently, two farmers came to me looking for this beans variety, even the farmers that did the demonstration at the field no longer have the seed because their colleagues have taken all the seeds away from them because of the performance on the field”, he said.
While comparing the PBR beans with the local variety, Jado said the difference is clear because the modified variety matures between 70 to 75 days while the local variety takes up to 90 days to mature.
He said it excites him when his farmers bring their harvest to him to thank him for a productive yield.
Jado said most of his farmers are now planning to expand their farms because of the bumper harvest they recorded after harvesting the PBR beans.
Furthermore, Jado explained that when the PBR beans matures, it produces fodder which is used as feed for livestock, and many farmers are now selling the fodder to livestock farmers and their livelihood is improving.
“You can also get fodder for animal feed when the beans is matured and there is enough moisture, also, with our local beans variety, you can spray up to five times but with this variety, you spray only twice, some farmers even get good yield without spraying chemicals because its resistant to pod borer and other insect pest”, he explained.
Jabo said in his area of coverage, the local variety of beans yield about three to four tonnes hectares per hectare but farmers who planted the PBR beans are harvesting 8 to 10 tonnes per hectare
“In the past, the farmers were harvesting about three to four bags of beans from one hectare with the local variety, but with this new variety, they now get 8 bags per hectare, while some get up to 10 bags per hectare with this new variety”, Joda said.
The 42 year old Mainasara who has his beans farm at Kagara community in Sokoto State, said they (farmers) like the beans variety because it resisted the dreaded Pod Borer pest which they need to spray chemical only twice to control it.
Mainasara, who spoke in Hausa, said other beans farmers were looking for the beans variety to plant during this dry season farming period, and they are ready to plant it next year and beyond.
In Kware Local Government Area also in Sokoto State, the AATF extension agent for PBR beans, Nasiru Umar said the farmers under this coverage like the PBR beans because it has higher yield than the local variety, and it matures early.
Umar covers six communities in Kware Local Government Area in Sokoto State, the communities include Kware, More, Tsagau, Kiyasa, Ummaruma, Gidan Rugga.
One of the farmers in Gidan Rugga community, Abdullahi Yusuf a father of 7 children said his plans to send four of his children out to far cities to look for how to help themselves and feed has ended because from his harvest, he can feed his family.
Yusuf, who is 47 years old, said next farming season, he would increase the hectares for cultivation so that he can send his children to school from the proceeds.
“I like this beans, disease does not disturb them. I will increase my production next year so that my children will go to school. They (his children) will help me on the farm when they come back from school”, Yusuf noted.
In Kogi State, Mohammed Gimba Musa an extension agent of the AATF said the farmers under his coverage are overwhelmed by the performance of PBR beans on the farm.
Musa who covers Kungbani 1 and 2, Felele, Ijiho communities in Kogi state, said the farmers are optimistic of bumper harvest.
“The farmers I have been talking with are overwhelmed, and they are expecting bumper harvest”, he said.
He said with the early maturing status of the crop, farmers are very happy and need more seed for next planting season.
On the impact of the crop on the farmers, Musa said a farmer under my coverage, Mohammed Ibrahim made enough profit from the sales of the PBR beans from his farm.
“He is planning that most of his land will be used for planting of the new beans variety next planting season because of the profit he made”, Musa said.
“He is making money now, but he has envisaged that if he expands his farm, he would make more money because beans is very expensive in the market.
The extension agent said the request for the PBR beans seed from other farmers has increased drastically.
“The crop is doing very well, another farmer even gave me three mudu (a plate used in measuring beans in the market) out of the harvest, he also gave some portion of the beans to the village head of Kungbani”, he added.
Another beans farmer, Ishiaka Bilikisu whose farm is located at Felele, Lokoja Local government of Kogi State, said she enjoys the performance of the GM beans on her farm.
“The cowpea is growing very fine, one thing I enjoy about it is that it doesn’t grow too long because in the past I encountered challenges with other farmers because my local variety grow into their farm but this new variety grows within my farm without entering into another person’s farm”, she noted.
The farmer, who sounded optimistic, said the beans flowered very well with greenish leaves and less insects attacking it.
“It flowered very well and it is very greenish, even the insecticide they gave us worked because there were not many insects disturbing it”, she added. (Nigerian Tribune)