Jakunbe: New sorghum variety making a difference in lives of Burkina Faso farmers

An improved, early-maturing sorghum variety is helping farmers in Burkina Faso attain nutritional and financial security.

Simba is a village located about 170 km east of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. On 3 October 2018, Mr Kossima Kaboré was the first producer in the village to harvest the improved sorghum variety named Jakunbe. This former gold miner rejoices on his discovery: “I sowed at the end of June and I have already harvested. My family will have enough to eat this year,” he says.

Back from the gold mining site without a penny, Kossima and his family faced poverty and hunger until the day he attended a field day in a participatory varietal selection trial organized by the Departmental Union of Cereal Producers (UDPC), a farmers’ cooperative. “One look at the grains of Jakunbe, and I immediately made my choice,” he recalls.

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