Building Resilient Okra for Africa’s Future:
A Farmer-Centered, Market-Driven Breeding Initiative

– 06 November 2025 –

AVOK1504, a newly released, high-yielding, and market-preferred okra variety

Okra is one of Africa’s most important vegetables, grown on more than 2 million hectares. Major producers in West and Central Africa are Nigeria, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Ghana, with the market valued at $2.5 billion annually in West Africa alone.

Okra is also vital for nutrition: immature pods are rich in vitamins and minerals and can be consumed fresh or processed into dry powder. Okra seed has high protein and oil content, enhancing its nutritional quality and providing opportunities for value addition through processing.

Despite its promise, okra production faces serious threats from pests, viruses, low yields, and weak seed systems. Across the region, most farmers rely on uncertified or recycled seeds, which are often sourced from informal markets. Local breeding programs remain scarce, and a few hybrid varieties are imported. This scenario leaves okra production vulnerable to pests and diseases, and results in poor yields. Outbreaks of okra leaf curl virus and pests, such as leafhoppers (Amrasca biguttula biguttula) – known locally as jassids – have also severely reduced yields in recent years, forcing farmers to increase pesticide use, which has harmful consequences for both human health and the environment. Without the development of improved varieties and effective seed systems tailored to local conditions, the sector faces challenges in realizing its full potential.

Recognizing the urgent need to develop pest- and disease-resistant plants, the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) relaunched its okra breeding program in 2023, which is based at its regional hub in Benin. The program is farmer focused and market oriented. It engages smallholder farmers, seed companies, and public institutions to ensure that the varieties developed not only thrive in local growing conditions but also meet the preferences of consumers and the market. Consequently, the program focuses on the traits that matter most to the users: virus and pest resistance, early maturity, high yield, and quality attributes such as pod length, color, and mucilage content. The program targets three main market segments: short pods, medium pods, and long pods, which are identified through stakeholder consultations across West and East Africa. The work on resistance to leaf curl virus and leafhopper is ongoing to reduce crop losses during the critical off-season from November to March. Other traits of interest include short internodes (the section stem between leaves), which are associated with higher yield, and drought and cold tolerance.

Mr. Mamoutou Dembele, Head of the Seed Cooperative “COPROSEM”, visiting and selecting lines from the okra trial, August 2025, Republic of Benin.

These renewed efforts build on earlier successes. Between 2007 and 2015, WorldVeg developed and released several popular okra varieties through collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Niger, including the dark green, medium-podded “Konni,” now widely grown in Mali and Benin. More recently, varieties such as AVOK1501, AVOK1502, AVOK1504, and AVOK1505, which are high-yielding and market-preferred, have demonstrated the potential of locally adapted breeding to transform okra production.

To better serve its partners and leverage the potential of both private and public institutions involved in okra breeding and seed development in Africa, the program has established the Okra Working Group under the Africa Vegetable Breeding Consortium (AVBC). The Group has already attracted more than 20 institutions and seed companies committed to supporting breeding efforts, scaling up elite lines, producing certified seeds, and making improved varieties accessible to farmers. The Group welcomes collaboration with partners. Such partnerships are vital for tackling the complex challenges facing okra production and seed sector growth in Africa. Training local seed companies is a cornerstone of the effort, ensuring that genetic gains from breeding reach markets and farming households.

Given external factors such as climate change intensifying production risks, pests and diseases becoming more destructive, and rising consumer demand, the stakes are becoming increasingly complex, and these conditions highlight that Africa needs resilient crops more than ever. Okra is uniquely positioned to drive both nutrition and income security, but only if farmers have access to improved seed. The Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) initiative, funded and implemented by various organizations, has realized the potential of okra and is currently investing in this crop in Africa.

Continuous donor support will be critical to accelerate the launch of resilient crops. Investments in breeding, seed systems, and farmer engagement can have a lasting impact, reducing pesticide dependence, protecting farmer and consumer health, and securing sustainable livelihoods.

As the WorldVeg okra program gains momentum, its vision is clear: an Africa where farmers grow resilient okra varieties that not only feed communities but also thrive in dynamic markets. By aligning science, farmers, and business, this initiative is planting the seeds of a more food-secure future.

WorldVeg Okra breeding team in Benin

WorldVeg and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) have an active partnership agreement to advance both organizations’ programs and projects. This research has received funding support from ACIAR.