Toward breeding a better future for cowpea farmers and consumers

On 16 May, the IITA Kano Station hosted a one-day meeting organized by the Cowpea Breeding Team of the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, in collaboration with the IITA’s Cowpea Breeding Program. The meeting aimed to develop a product profile for upcoming cowpea varieties to consider the requirements of both cowpea consumers and growers in developing new varieties for Nigeria. This strategy is believed to facilitate the adoption of new varieties by farmers and consumers when such varieties jointly designed by all stakeholders are developed and deployed.

Stakeholders from various aspects of the cowpea value chain in Nigeria participated in discussions to guide the breeding team on what the market needs and prioritize their varietal development accordingly.

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