A group picture of journalists at the workshop
A NEW high yielding insect resistance grain (Cowpea) developed by the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) known as Pot Borer Resistance Cowpea (PBR Cowpea) has been introduced to farmers in the Bono Region.
According to scientists between 20-80 percent of losses occur during cultivation of cowpea before harvest making farmers harvest only three bags of the crop on an acre of land.
They said this is due to insect infestation and other climate change factors that result in low yield.
At a media workshop in Wenchi Bono Region on pertinent issues related to agricultural biotechnology and benefits of the PBR Cowpea seed to farmers, Dr. Daniel Osei Ofosu from the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) said the new cowpea has a high yielding capacity assuring farmers are going to henceforth harvest seven bags to the same one acre of land that previously gave them only three bags.
“PBR Cowpea which took eleven years to develop is insect resistance and matures within eight weeks of planting. So the issue of having to apply pesticide eight times during pre-harvest time is a thing of the past because of its pest resistance,” he said.
He maintained there is high demand for beans or what popularly called ‘gobea3’ both in Ghana and the West Africa but farmers are unable to produce to meet demand due to pre-harvest losses and as a result farmers are walking away from cowpea production.
“That is why farmers are walking away and authorities have to resort to import to fill up the demand,” he said.
He urged media practioners to propagate the news so that Ghanaian farmers will embrace it and increase yield to meet demand.
According to him even though the PBR Cowpea is a Genetically Modified (GM) crop it has no side effect.
A representative of OFAB Ghana, organisers of the workshop, Richard Ampadu- Ameyaw explained that farmers will not be able to create seeds out the new cowpea after harvest and have to contact seed growers’ centres that shall be designated throughout the country for seeds.
“The technology is out there and we urge farmers to embrace it to increase yield, meet demand and make money,” he said.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Wenchi