Climate Change: AATF Urges Farmers to Explore New Planting Window for Cowpea

James Emejo in Abuja

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has urged Nigerian farmers explore identified suitable planting windows for cowpea in different ecologies in the country.

AATF Regional Representative for West Africa, Dr. Jean Baptiste, said the windows will enable farmers cope with the vulnerabilities of climate change.

Speaking during a visit to Pandagric Farms, near Keffi, Nasarawa State, he pointed out that the cowpea field in spanning over 35 hectares was part of the dry season cowpea production being introduced by the foundation to ensure the variety produces at its maximum in the absences of insect pressure and other climate vulnerabilities.

Baptiste noted that due to the impact of climate change resulting in either too much or too little rain fall or early cessation of rain, beans are not producing at their maximum potentials leaving Nigerian farmers miserable during harvest.

He said, “After a careful study of the situation, we have come to understand that because farmers are not guided on when to plant, the crop productivity is often interrupted by climate uncertainties. The rain fall pattern for the country is not uniform and each year comes with its own surprises, so it is important for farmers to be accurately guided.”

In a statement issued by Communication Officer, West and Central Africa, AATF, Mr. Alex Abutu, Baptiste equally urged those in the Northern Guinea Savannah including Bauchi, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Zamfara to commence planting from the third week of July to the first week of August while those in Southern Guinea Savannah namely Niger, Kwara, Abuja, Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe belong have the first to the third week of August to plant beans.

He pointed out that after two years in the hands of farmers, some farmers have taken advantages of the prolific nature of the Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea to undertake two planting seasons during the cause of the planting year.