Ghana's Bt Cowpea: A great sign at last
Kofi Doe, 54, now works as a plantain and maize farmer. Before becoming a plantain and maize farmer, he was a prominent cowpea farmer in Wusuta, located in the Kpando District of the Volta of Ghana.
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But his transition into plantain farming was occasioned by the regular losses he suffered with his cowpea farming. He got frustrated by pests on his cowpea farming, and therefore decided to venture into maize and plantain farming.
Initially reluctant to discuss anything related to his past experience in cowpea farming, Kofi Doe finally agreed to share his tragic experience with the bean crop – cowpea.
He abandoned cowpea farming 14 years ago after nearly losing all his investment and savings. He had ventured into cowpea farming due to the large market demand for the bean crop both within Ghana and internationally.
His misfortune struck when his entire farm was invaded by Maruca vitrata pest. At the time, his six -acre cowpea farm looked lush and promising. He had high hopes that the farm would yield enough returns to repay the loan he had taken from the bank to finance his venture.
However, he did not anticipate that his entire investment would soon be wiped out by pests. The infestation began just as his crops were about to start fruiting.
He spent considerable money on various pesticides, trying to prevent their devastating, but none were effective. He even sought advice from agricultural extension officers, but their technical guidance could not save his crops from turning colour and deteriorating due to the pest infestation.
With no hope of profiting from his farm and facing mounting pressure from his bankers, he relocated to Half Assini to work in coconut plantations as a labourer – he was hired to weed in the plantation. This took him some time before he could gather some money to repay his loan, which had begun to yield interest. This move nearly cost him his marriage. It took him nearly five years to pay off the loan and its accumulating interest.
For Kofi Doe, the memory of that failed investment remains painful, and he has no desire to return to cowpea farming. Whenever he sees cowpea for sale, it serves as a stark reminder of his bad investment.
He notes that many farmers who dedicated their efforts to cowpea farming have become poorer due to pest infestations.
For him, unless the pest problem affecting cowpea is addressed through improved seeds or effective pesticides against Maruca vitrata, many cowpea farmers will continue to toil in vain.
“Nye ma ka wa ayei gbra ooo,” to wit, I won’t do cowpea farm again, he said in the Ewe language.
Cowpea
Cowpea is a major source of protein in Ghana and the rest of West Africa. Ghana’s annual estimated demand for cowpea is 169,000 tons while the country only produces 57,000 tons per annum. The deficit is met by imports from neighbouring West African countries, notably Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Niger.
Nigeria is currently the largest producer of cowpea globally (i.e., 45% of world production) followed by Niger (15%) and Burkina Faso (6%).
Nigeria had earlier approved the pod borer resistant cowpea to further increase their market share in the sub-region as the market preference is for quality produce. Ghana thus becomes only the second country in Africa to reach the commercial release stage with the Bt variety of this important commodity.
NBA’s approval
This is because the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) of Ghana in June 2022 approved the environmental release of the country’s first genetically modified commodity, pod borer-resistant Cowpea. The application was submitted by scientists at the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
For over a decade, Ghana has been evaluating the agronomic performance and food safety of this genetically modified staple. The Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gene, which provides insect resistance, has proven particularly effective against the Maruca pod borer pest, a major threat to cowpea crops across West Africa.
The Chief Executive Officer of NBA, Mr. Eric Okoree, explained that the decision to approve the environmental release is a landmark achievement clearly demonstrating in the capability and capacity of the country to review and make decisions on environmental release applications to ensure the safe adoption of biotechnology products to improve agricultural productivity and to contribute towards sustainable development.
Beyond the NBA’s biosafety approval, the cowpea was subjected to processes of the National Varietal Release and Registration Committee of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture before farmers can access the crop for cultivation.
Commercial release of Bt Cowpea in Ghana
Ghana made history on Thursday, July 25, 2024, with the commercial release of “the Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea” (PBR Cowpea), the first ever biotech crop in the country. This crop has been developed to specifically resist the Pod Borer pest, scientifically known as “Maruca vitrata,” which destroys yields by boring the pods.
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The release of the pod borer-resistant (PBR) cowpea, a new variety of black-eyed beans, marks the culmination of 12 years of rigorous regulatory, laboratory, and field testing by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) under the PBR Cowpea Project. This public-private partnership, coordinated by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), aims to enhance cowpea productivity and utilisation in sub-Saharan Africa.
The new variety, known as "Songotra T," received approval for commercial release and registration in Ghana by the National Seed Council, following the National Biosafety Authority’s (NBA) approval of CSIR’s application for its environmental release and market placement.
The official release event took place on Thursday, July 25, 2024, at SARI’s premises in Nyankpala in the Northern Region of the country.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the CSIR, Prof. Paul Bosu, described the event as “a great day for Ghana’s agriculture and food security drive …, a historic and significant development for African agriculture, with the CSIR setting the pace and making history….”
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For him, the CSIR has a long history of delivering the best to the nation in the area of technology development and dissemination, saying “the Songotra T is one of such technologies” and therefore urged farmers “to take advantage of it to increase their cowpea production and thereby increase their wealth.”
Prof. Bosu emphasised that “in agriculture, CSIR is committed to safely using biotechnological approaches such as the genetic modification techniques, where necessary to solve food security challenges.”
He commended the Director, management and research team working on the PBR Cowpea for their tenacity and resolving to make sure that farmers have access to the best.
Prof. Bosu also celebrated the collaboration between the CSIR and its partners – the AATF, the Australia based Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIRO), USA-based Danforth Plant Science Centre, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) based in Zaria, Nigeria, and the Institute for Environment and Agricultural Research (INERA) in Burkina Faso, that has resulted in the success of the PBR Cowpea Project in Ghana.
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Safe to eat
A Senior Research Scientist and Entomologist at CSIR-SARI, Nyankpala, Dr. Jerry Nboyine, who is also the current Principal Investigator on the PBR Cowpea Project, said the Songotra T Cowpea variety has undergone rigorous biosafety review and risk assessment, after which it was approved by the National Biosafety Authority as safe for use as food and feed.
From the biosafety approval, he indicated, the crop underwent extensive field trials in all the major cowpea growing ecologies in Northern Ghana.
According to Dr. Nboyine, the PBR cowpea was developed to address the challenges faced by cowpea farmers, including low yields due to the legume pod borer, the extensive use of pesticides to control this pest, the associated health risks for both farmers and consumers, and the negative environmental impact.
Why biotech solution?
Agricultural biotechnology is a vital tool for tackling the causes and effects of climate change while advancing key societal objectives like reducing poverty, enhancing global food security, and minimising agriculture's environmental impact. This technology guarantees a healthy planet and a sustainable future.
The reason is that the impact of human activities on climate change, particularly through the emission of greenhouse gases, is undeniable. Climate change affects agriculture by raising temperatures and increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
Agricultural biotechnology however offers solutions to both mitigate and adapt to environmental changes. It is important to mention that using agricultural biotechnology, plant and animal breeders can more quickly develop plants and animals that are adapted to changing environmental conditions, such as drought, increased temperatures, new diseases, and other stressors.
In addition to helping to mitigate and adapt to climate change, application of agricultural biotechnology can help advance the sustainability of food systems.
The Way Forward
With the approval of "Songotra T" for commercial release in Ghana, former cowpea farmers like Kofi Doe may be inspired now to return to cultivating the crop. This new variety will provide significant relief to many cowpea farmers across the country by effectively combating the Maruca Vitrata pest, which has caused extensive damage to the crop.