ICRISAT expands chickpea seed production in Southern Africa as farmers face rising costs
The program aims to help farmers in Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique grow climate-resilient chickpea varieties while meeting rising local and export demand.
SOUTHERN AFRICA – The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, together with its partners, is increasing climate-resilient chickpea seed production across Southern Africa.
The program, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations through the Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, is running in Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique. The project also involves national agricultural institutions and Malawi-based Milele Agro-processors.
ICRISAT said chickpea is becoming more important in dryland farming systems because the crop needs less nitrogen fertilizer than many cereal crops. The crop also continues to attract interest in local and export markets due to its nutritional value and ability to grow in dry conditions.
Director General of ICRISAT, Himanshu Pathak, said the project comes at a critical time for farming communities across Southern Africa.
“With fertilizer prices and agricultural production costs continuing to rise globally, resilient legume crops such as chickpea are becoming increasingly important in helping farmers across Malawi and Southern Africa maintain productivity, strengthen food security, and reduce dependence on costly agricultural inputs,” said Dr Pathak.
The project also seeks to strengthen links between research institutions, extension systems, seed producers, agrodealers, processors, and buyers.
ICRISAT scientist and legume breeder James Mwololo said many farmers across dryland regions continue to face declining soil fertility and changing weather conditions.
“Chickpea is emerging as a strategic crop for dryland agriculture because it offers farmers a viable pathway to maintain productivity and incomes under increasingly difficult growing conditions,” said Dr Mwololo.
He added that farmers in Malawi currently achieve average chickpea yields of about 833 kilograms per hectare, although improved varieties can produce up to three metric tons per hectare.
According to ICRISAT, wider access to quality seed could increase national production more than threefold from the 2022 baseline of 2,570 metric tons. The number of farming households involved could also rise from 22,000 to more than 66,000 by 2027.
Chief Executive Officer of Milele Agro-processors, Gloria Pekani, said the crop presents growing opportunities for processors and export markets.
“It is also about creating both stronger market opportunities and supporting livelihoods for farmers, processors, and communities that increasingly depend on resilient crops such as chickpea,” said Ms Pekani.
The latest development follows another recent ICRISAT program in India launched with the Fortified Whole Grain Alliance.
The project seeks to increase the use of fortified whole grain foods in Indian school feeding programs while supporting wider food security research across Africa and India.
Sign up to HERE receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.
