Cowpea farmers in Benue State have been taught the usage of a ‘three-bag’ expertise to retailer their produce for an extended interval after every year’s harvest.

This is even because the College of Agronomy within the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM) would quickly launch a brand new improved number of cowpea to allow farmers increase meals manufacturing.

Our correspondent studies that the correct use of the expertise, in any other case known as ‘air-tight’ baggage, was launched to the farmers throughout this yr’s Field Day organised by the College of Agronomy.

Sequel to the expertise, farmers had nervous about their incapacity to stop weevils from spoiling their harvested cowpea, a growth that had typically led them to use chemical substances on their produce for safekeeping.

But Dr Teryima Iorlamen, an agronomist, who tutored the farmers, stated the appliance of chemical substances on cowpea in a quest to curb wastages had typically led to rejection of the product at export markets.

Speaking in the course of the Farmers’ Field Day on Wednesday in Makurdi, Iorlamen, who can be a seed techniques principal investigator with the Accelerated Varita Improvement and Seed System Delivery in Africa (AVISA) programme, alongside his assistant, demonstrated the proper use of the three-bag expertise to realize desired outcomes.

He stated, “The three-bag technology helps to store cowpea properly without any fear of spoilage. The bag is air-tight. If the usage of technology is well adhered to, the cowpea can stay in the store for two years and nothing will happen to it.”

He additional demonstrated to the farmers learn how to dry their harvested cowpea when as a result of package deal within the baggage, and the way safely to tie the baggage earlier than placing identical in a nicely organized retailer below the best moisture.

Earlier, Iorlamen disclosed that the researchers within the school of agronomy have been nearly set for the discharge of a brand new selection.

He stated the brand new selection, anticipated to be often called FUAMPEA 5, was developed to fulfill the yearnings of cowpea farmers throughout the nation.

Our correspondent studies that the establishment, previously known as Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), had earlier launched some varieties often called FUAMPEA 3 and 4, which was an enchancment of FUMPEA 1 and a couple of developed in 2016 to go well with the climatic climate of Benue’s geographic area.

The agronomist stated the event was prompted by the required suggestions from farmers and different stakeholders who needed the researchers to provide you with a specific dimension and color of cowpea as an enchancment of different varieties.

“We are almost there to release FUMPEA 5. After the release of the FUMPEA 3  and 4, which is brown and bigger, the farmers began to request for a white and bigger size cowpea. So, we are making the big seed,” he stated.

Iorlamen defined that the brand new selection developed by JOSTUM’s Professor Lucky Omoigui of the Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Science, in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), below the AVISA programme and supported by Sygenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA), would additional put the college on the worldwide map.

He maintained that the FUMPEA was an improved cowpea seed selection that permits farmers to provide the early maturity length, dimension, style, color or high quality of the cowpea they like.

The FUMPEA, in his submission, would assist the farmers to provide brown or white cowpea with sweeter style. He added that different new hybrid and early maturity varieties have been additionally obtainable to farmers within the state, in addition to these inside the North Central area to develop for industrial functions.

Iorlamen added that Omoigui, a professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics, developed the all FUAMPEAs in collaboration with the IITA, and that every one seven improved varieties to this point by the establishment are at present obtainable for farmers’ use.

A cowpea farmer, Samuel Yima, who got here all the best way from Gboko to take part within the Field Day, exclaimed that the FUMPEA selection was the perfect factor to occur to him as a farmer.

Excited concerning the three-bag expertise, Yima stated, “I’ve expertise an excellent factor as we speak. Even this new selection with fodder can be utilized to feed my livestock, and on the identical time, generate revenue for me.

Similarly, Rosemary Ahoobo, a cowpea farmer, inspired different rural farmers to go forward and domesticate the excessive yielding varieties for consumption and revenue era.

“I don’t only earn money from cultivating cowpea but for consumption. It has really helped me because my children used the cowpea to prepare various delicacies, which they take to school every morning,” Ahoobo disclosed.

Meanwhile, the nation coordinator of the SFSA, who was represented on the Field Day by his venture assistant, Mojisola Olufemi, appreciated the works being achieved by the scientists of the College of Agronomy as she burdened the necessity for the commercialisation of the improved varieties in order that they don’t find yourself within the cabinets.

“If we don’t get the good work being done here to the end users it would be a calamity, and that’s why our organisation has been part of this journey to commercialise these varieties. We take it to the farmers under the AVISA project,” Olufemi added.