Post-harvest Problems of Cowpeas Faced by Farmers in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Post-harvest losses in cowpea have been a problem for cowpea farmers in Madagali Local Government Area. These losses are mainly due to insect pest attacks and spillage during post-harvest handling operations. To determine the post-harvest problems of cowpea. Five farming communities were selected, and twenty cowpea farmers from each community represented the entire population, resulting in a total of one hundred farmers. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from the respondents. The questionnaires were scored using a 4-point Likert scale. The collected data were subjected to descriptive statistics using Microsoft Excel. According to the study, the majority of farmers asserted that steel drums were the best storage technique, with the highest mean score of 3.39, while rhomboidal storage techniques had the lowest mean score of 2.15 in the study area. Pests had the highest mean score of 3.12, which was considered the major problem in cowpea storage, while lack of knowledge about the storage facility had the lowest mean score of 1.94 and was considered a minor storage problem in the study area. However, the use of proper insecticides had the highest mean score of 3.32 and was considered the best method of pest control for cowpea in the study area, while the use of silos with a mean score of 2.16 was considered a less effective method for controlling pests in cowpea in the study area. Most farmers store their cowpea for five to six months to prevent pest damage.