New pigeon pea varieties receive positive response

One of the new varieties in the field. Photo by Bill Oketch.

What you need to know:

Though the crop can grow in many parts of the country, the major producing area is northern Uganda. The figures indicate 80 per cent of the total crop is grown in the north, about 10 per cent in the east, while five per cent is in western and central regions respectively

Farmers in northern Uganda usually grow apena (pigeon peas) in their gardens. This is because this legume improves soil fertility by fixing nitrogen but soon farmers will find the new pigeon peas varieties with enhanced attributes.
Market
The market for pigeon peas is increasing and women have now taken a lot of interest in cultivating it. A kilo goes at between Shs4,000 and Shs5,000 in the local markets.

Though the crop can grow in many parts of the country, the major producing area is northern Uganda. The figures indicate 80 per cent of the total crop is grown in the north, about 10 per cent in the east, while five per cent is in western and central regions respectively.
Catherine Ogwal of Amugu Sub-county, Alebtong District, says pigeon peas earns them a higher income because they can sell it fresh, dry, split or as flour.

"We plant finger millet together with pigeon peas because we use both in our diet as accompanying foods,” remarks Ogwal.
Another farmer, Lucy Akello started cultivating pigeon peas when she realised the new varieties taste better.
“My husband [organised the marriage ceremony] with the money he got from pigeon peas,” says Akello.
“Even if you do not sell, you can eat it and you are healthy and strong, you are able to work and get money.”
Yuventino Obong, a research officer at National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) recalls: “When we started the research in 2012, people were very reluctant about adopting the new varieties. So, we trained them on management and agronomy. When the few farmers who adopted the varieties started enjoying the benefit, others came along.”

Good for health, good for soil

A pigeon pea farmer shows his harvest. PHOTO BY BILL OKETCH


Experts say pigeon peas are very nutritious. If the quantity eaten is equivalent to a cup, it is like having two cups of milk. From the same pigeon peas, one can also have other minerals such as iron, potassium and magnesium.
Obong explains: “Because of deep-rootedness, pigeon peas bring out the minerals that other plant roots do not reach. That is why you find that all places where pigeon peas is grown, the soil fertility increases without even adding the fertiliser.”
The pigeon pea varieties being grown in northern Uganda include Sepi 1and Sepi II. Those expected to be released soon are ICEAP 00557, ICEAP 00540 and ICEAP 00554.
Bernard Okello, a farmer in Adekokwok Sub-county, Lira District, describes the new varieties as incredible.
“When we plant it, it takes shorter time to harvest. Then you can leave it and can harvest it again,” he says. “I have harvested the same plant two times in a year.”
However, experts discourage such a practice.
“We do not encourage it because if you don’t control the pests, it will be a source of pest to build up,” says Obong.
Besides growing pigeon peas, other crops are also being encouraged through intercropping.

Improve production
In December 2015, a project tagged Food Legumes for Enhanced Food and Nutritional Security, Systems Productivity and Profitability of Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia and Uganda was launched.
Under this project, farmers in northern Uganda and Ethiopia have received €500,000 (about Shs1.9b) from Austrian Development Agency (ADA) to improve production pigeon pea and chick pea—the latter being a related crop.
The three-year project is expected to promote improve pigeon pea varieties in the five districts of Lamwo, Nwoya, Agago, Otuke and Lira in northern Uganda and chick pea in Ethiopia.
It aims at increasing food security, nutrition and building the capacity of farmers so that they can produce enough food both for commercial and domestic consumption as well as increase their income.

to note

Farmers from Lango and Acholi regions tour demonstration field for pigeon peas at Ngetta, Lira Town. Photo by Bill Oketch

The pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan, family fabaceae) is thought to have originated in India, where it is still widely grown as a food crop.
It is also used extensively as a cover crop, green manure and inter crop among others.
The plant is a short lived perennial shrub. It grows to two to four metres and lives for about five years.

The flowers are yellow or yellow and red.
The leaves consist of three leaflets and are a dark green above and silvery underneath.
The fruits are pods, containing four to seven seeds. The seeds can be a range of colours. Some are light brown, but they can be cream, grey, purple or black, depending on the variety.

Leading producer
India is the leading pigeon pea producer in the world. In 2012, the production stood at 2.7m metric tonnes but needed about 3.2m metric tons of pigeon peas.
In 2017, it is projected that India will still continue producing the same quantity but the demand is going to be about 4.1m metric tonnes.
The deficit is to bridged to meet the needs of the population through purchase from other countries. Therein lays an opportunity for Uganda to produce for export