Vision for Adopted Crops & Soils (VACS)

The Conservation Farming Unit is spearheading an innovative program aimed at ensuring availability and access to improved and high-quality seeds of cowpea varieties, which is a challenge among the farming community. This initiative is part of a broader vision for sustainable agricultural practices that benefit both the environment and local farming communities with the support of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT). Conservation Farming Unit is committed to fostering sustainable farming practices that not only enhance soil health but also support local communities by improving food security and livelihoods. CFU is committed to fostering sustainable farming practices that not only enhance soil health but also support local communities by improving food security and livelihoods.

Program Objectives:

The primary goal of this program is to promote cowpea and pigeon peas as essential crops that improve soil and human health for agricultural productivity. To date, the Conservation Farming Unit has distributed over 2,000 seed packs to local farmers and established 360 demonstration plots for both rain-fed and off-season cropping. Additionally, a network of 360 village-based advisors has been appointed to train farmers in effective cowpea production techniques.

Key Activities:

The program includes a variety of activities designed to educate and empower farmers:

1. Cowpea Production and Sensitisation Awareness – Raising awareness about the benefits and techniques of cowpea production to encourage adoption among farmers.
2. Training farmers in seed multiplication to promote the availability of seeds within communities.
3. Seed pack distribution and establishing Demonstration Plots to showcase successful cowpea cultivation practices.
4. Cowpea Recipes Training: Providing training on diverse and nutritious recipes that incorporate cowpea, promoting its use beyond farming.
5. Field Days: Organising field days to engage the community, share knowledge, and celebrate successful cultivation practices.
6. Market linkages – Implementing measures aimed at strengthening the input and output markets for the Cowpeas and Pigeon peas to realise benefits for farmers and other stakeholders. Connecting With the commitment so far shown by seed companies in terms of enhancing high-quality input supply and availability, we anticipate an increase in productivity among farmers. Some seed companies have been engaged to offtake the crop from farmers at very reasonable and fair pricing, thereby augmenting farmer incomes and fostering market efficiency.