Identifying cowpea characteristics which command price premiums in Senegalese markets

Since the 1980s cowpea has become an alternative cash crop in northern Senegal. However, in 1997, surveys showed that farmers often sold their crop at unprofi table prices. The hypothesis was that farmers could improve selling prices if they produced cowpea with the characteristics demanded by consumers. To identify those characteristics, data were collected in six markets from January 1998 to December 1999. Regression analysis was used to estimate a linear relationship between price and grain characteristics. The results showed that consumers were willing to pay premiums for grain size (119 FCFA/100 g) but discount price for number of bruchid holes (0.62 FCFA/hole), red eye (40 FCFA/kg), red skin (30 FCFA/kg), and smooth skin (21 FCFA/kg). Introduction Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) commonly referred to as black eyed peas in the US, is an important source of nutrition in West Africa. This crop serves to bridge the hunger gap between the planting and harvesting periods of the main food crops. With 10% of the area cultivated, cowpea is the third most important crop in Senegal after millet, the main food crop, and peanuts, a major cash crop. Cowpea was traditionally grown in Senegal for food (Tall 1991). However, since 1985, following several years of poor peanut harvests, cowpea has become increasingly viewed as an alternative cash crop. This is particularly true in the northern part of the country where a short rainy season and an annual rainfall of less than 300 mm does not favor peanut production. For this reason, the Senegalese Agricultural Research Institute (ISRA) is currently engaged in a research program focusing on the breeding and dissemination of early maturing (less than 45 days) and high yielding varieties of cowpea. The purpose of this program is to improve production and to promote cowpea marketing by providing earlier varieties, which could be marketed before the traditional varieties and receive a higher price. In 1997, as part of the research program, surveys were done to assess the impact of the new varieties on production and cowpea marketing. The results of the survey revealed that the area planted to cowpea had not expanded as expected. In addition, the farmers were found to still be selling their production surplus at prices below their cost of production. Problem statement Farmers face diffi culty in selling their production surplus at profi table market prices. In order to address this problem, it is necessary to know how the buyers value the different 1–3. ISRA/CNRA BP 53 Bambey, Sénégal. 2. Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University 47906 IN, USA.