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Did you know?
Bambara groundnut is known as a ‘complete food’ as the seeds contain on average 63% carbohydrates, 19% protein and 6.5% fat, making it a very important source of dietary protein. Bambara groundnut is a grain legume grown mainly by subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
It is cultivated for its subterranean pods, is extremely hardy and produces reasonable yields even under conditions of drought and low soil fertility.
Bambara groundnut is indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa where it is widely cultivated. The centre of origin is most likely North-Eastern Nigeria and Northern Cameroon, in West Africa. The species is also grown to a lesser extent in some Asian countries such as India, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. Bambara groundnut is very important for smallholder farmers.
Its nitrogen-fixing roots, which help replenish soil nutrients, make it suitable in intercropping systems with maize, millet, sorghum, cassava, yam, among other crops. The leaves of this plant are rich in nitrogen and potassium and, therefore, an excellent source of animal feed.
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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