Maize, cassava and cowpea (Vigna un

Maize, cassava and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) are the main staple food crops. They are almost always cultivated as intercrops. Other minor but important food crops include upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), pepper (Capsicum sp. L.) and Amaranthus sp. L. are popular vegetables grown for cash. Major cash crops are coconut, cashew nut, bixa (Bixa orellana L.) and horticultural tree crops, such as mangoes (Mangifera indica L.), citrus (Citrus sp. L.) and bananas (Musa spp. L.). The tree crops, coconut and cashew nuts are generally planted without any pattern and the age of the trees ranges widely, indicating continuous planting of trees by farmers. Pineapples (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and paw paw (Carica papaya L.) are also grown in limited areas. Cotton is cultivated in the north.
Crop yields in farmers’ fields are generally low (Table 2), mainly because of poor soil fertility and use of inappropriate agronomic practices and unsuitable crop varieties. Maize, the staple crop, hardly produces more than 1.5 t ha-1 y -1. The region is food deficient and imports staple foods from other parts of the country.