Situational analyses on cowpea value chain in Zambia: the case of an untapped legume

Figures & data

Table 1. Cowpea varieties released in Zambia

S/NO.	VARIETY	YEAR OF RELEASE	TITLE HOLDER/AGENT
1	Shipepo	1984	Zambia Seed Company Ltd
2	Muliana	1984	Zambia Seed Company Ltd
3	Lutembwe	1993	Zambia Seed Company Ltd
4	Bubebe	1995	Zambia Seed Company Ltd
5	Musandile (Formerly Katete)*	2004	Zambia Agricultural Research Institute (MACO)
6	Namuseba	2011	Zambia Agricultural Research Institute
7	Mtilizi	2018	Zambia Agricultural Research Institute
8	Lunkhwakwa	2018	University of Zambia (UNZA)
9	Lukusuzi	2018	University of Zambia (UNZA)

*Denomination changed to Musandile on 23 May 2018 Source: Official variety Register (ZARI, 2021)

Table 2. Characteristic traits of the seven released varieties in Zambia

Variety	Yield t/ha	Seed colour	Seed Size	Taste	Cookability	Maturity in days	Leaf quality	Reaction to major pests(Aphis cracivora, callosobruchus maculatus)	Reaction to major diseases(leaf spot Aschocyta/Cercorspora)	Reaction to Soil Fertility (N, P)
Lt	2.0	Light brown	Medium	Good	Cooks faster	65-70	Broad/succulent	Moderately tolerant	Moderately tolerant
Bb	2.0	Brown	Small	Good/ aromatic	Cooks faster/Preferred soup colour	60-65	Narrow	Susceptible	Susceptible
Mt	2.0	Beige	Large	Good	Cooks faster	60-65	Broad leaf/Succulent	Moderately tolerant to storage weevil	Tolerant
Ms	2.5	White with black helium	Medium	Good	Cooks relatively longer	60-65	Narrow	Susceptible	Susceptible
Nam	2.0	White with brown helium	Large	Good	Cooks faster	65-70	Broad	Susceptible	Moderate tolerant
Luk	2.5	Violet with white helium	Medium	Good	Cooks faster	65-70	Broad	Moderately tolerant	Moderately tolerant, Tolerant Aschochyta &Cercospora	Tolerant to Aluminum toxicity
Lkw	2.5		Medium	Good	Cooks faster	65-75	Narrow	Moderately tolerant	Moderately Tolerant to asochcyta and mosaic virus

Figure 1. Regional production of cowpea in Zambia.

Source: Supplemental survey FSRP, 2008

Figure 2. Area cultivated (1,000 hectares) and production of major crops (1,000 metric tonnes), 2017/2018 and 2018/2019.

Figure 3. Food supply availability in Zambia for year 2020.

Source: (IAPRI, 2021a)

Table 3. Nutrition food balance sheet food items in Zambia

Food category	Food items
Cereals	Maize, maize meal, wheat, rice, sorghum, millet
Roots and tubers	Irish potato, sweet potato,cassava, cassava meal
Sugary foods	Sugar (white or brown)
Pulses	Mixed beans, cowpeas
Oil crops	Groundnuts, soybeans, sunflower
Meat	Beef, cattle, pig meat
Milk	Cow milk
Fish	Fresh fish

Source: (IAPRI, 2021a)

Table 4. Farmer identified constraints in cowpea production

Constraint	Eastern	Southern	Northern	Total
Lack of improved seed	12.0	30.0	3.0	45.0
Lack of labor	3.0	1.0	6.0	9.0
Pests and diseases	3.0	13.0	3.0	18.0
Limited access to inputs	1.0	5.0	8.0	15.0
Lack of knowledge on cowpea agronomy	1.0	0.0	4.0	5.0
Lack of knowledge on markets/value addition	18.0	9.0	15.0	42.0
Lack of extension services	5.0	10.0	14.00	3.0

Source: Nkhoma et al., 2021

Figure 4. Cowpea sold as grain and as a snack in Zambia (Photo Credit: COMACO,2022).

Figure 5. Dried cowpea leaves commonly known as “kachesha” sold on the Zambian market.

Figure 6. Beginning with the end-user in mind:cowpea systems analyses.

VRC, (Ed.), & ZARI. (2021). Variety book 2021 October 12 serialated (005). ZARI.

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IAPRI. (2021a). 2020 Zambia food security and nutrition. 40. https://www.iapri.org.zm/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020_fns_report.pdf

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Nkhoma, N. (2021). Genetic Improvement of Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L .) Walp .] for Grain Yield and Yield Components in Zambia. Kwa-Zulu Natal. https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10413/19478/Nkhoma_Nelia_2020.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

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