June 2015
Source: AVRDC newsletter, June 5, 2015
A new jewel of the field has farmers talking in the Ntem Valley division of southern Cameroon. African eggplant variety Oforiwa— nicknamed “white diamond” by local growers for the high income it generates—was introduced in the area by the Center for Assistance to Sustainable Development (CASD) through the project “Enhancing productivity, competitiveness and marketing of traditional African vegetables for improved income and nutrition in West and Central Africa” funded by the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD).
In February 2014, CASD organized a training workshop in the Ntem Valley to strengthen vegetable farmers’ skills in improved nursery techniques and farm management. After the training, the farmers received improved vegetable seeds of African eggplant, amaranth, African nightshade, jute mallow, and okra from AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center.
Vegetable grower Patrick Ancho of Meyo-Nyaka was reluctant to accept the African eggplant seed, as he felt the variety he already was producing was the best. With some persuasion from his wife, he finally decided to try growing the new variety.
After their first harvest of Oforiwa, Mr. and Mrs. Ancho were so impressed by the performance of the variety that they decided to abandon the one they previously cultivated. “Oforiwa is high yielding and produced fruits for a long period,” said Mr. Ancho. “With sufficient moisture, it can produce many times a year, and it is disease resistant.” He especially appreciated the attractive milkwhite color of the fruit, and the taste, which is good both raw and cooked; these are strong selling points for consumers. “The demand is becoming high as well as the market value compared to other varieties,” he said.
Mrs. Ancho calls Oforiwa the “white diamond” because it has proven to be incredibly valuable for her family. During the rainy season, a 50 kg bag of Oforiwa fruit generated 7,000 – 10,000 CFA (about USD 11.00-17.00) for Mr. Ancho; in the dry season, his income per bag was as high as 22,000 CFA (about USD 37.00). “My family is very happy because we harvest 20 bags each week on an area of 5000 m2—10 bags on Tuesday and 10 bags on Thursday— and sell at the Kye ossi Market (a market on the border between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea),” he said. “African eggplant brings in at least 140,000 CFA (about USD 234.00) weekly.” His ambition is to increase the area planted to the crop and ensure the production of Oforiwa throughout the year. “I can now hire labor to work on my farm and pay them easily,” Mr. Ancho said. “Oforiwa has done it for me and I wish to thank the project.”
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