Nigeria’ll Soon Be Self-Sufficient In Beans Production – Farmers

Beans farmers in Nigeria have expressed the conviction that the country will soon be self-sufficient in the production of beans both for local consuption, and possible exportation.
This is sequel to the official commercial release of seeds of a variety of beans known as Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) beans to beans farmers in Nigeria.
A beans farmer in Enugu State, Godwin Emeka expressed optimism that with enough PBR beans seed, he would get a good harvest next farming season.
“With this PBR beans, a lot of challenges associated with planting other species of beens have been eliminated. There’s therefore no reason why I should not have a good harvest next season”, he said.
Emeka, a beneficiary of the training organised for the PBR beans farmers in Nigeria, whose farm is located at Udi Local Government of Enugu State, said from the little he cultivated this year, he got an encouraging harvest.
Farmers in Nigeria over the years have been at a loss over planting the same variety of beans which took long time to mature, comes up with low yield, and is susceptible to pest attacks.
Worried about the farmers’ plight and in order to improve the yield of beans in the country, the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF), in partnership with scientists at the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, developed the PBR beans.
Over 1,152 farmers selected from across Nigeria participated in the wet season national demonstration trials carried out by the AATF, IAR and National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS).
Virtually all participants at the training have variously expressed confidence that Nigeria’s quest for self sufficiency in beans production can be attained.
Some of the farmers who spoke to The Tide said the performance observed during the trials is a pointer to the fact that in no distance time, Nigeria will be able to attain self-sufficiency in beans production as well as supply the PBR beans in West African sub-region.
Other farmers noted that given the fact that the PBR beans matures relatively early, and is resistant to disease, it will go a long way in ensuring that investment on beans farming yields better harvest.