Cow peas, dry production by country
World production of cow peas, dry reached 10.1 million t in 2024, up 70% over ten years. The largest producers were Nigeria (42.4%), Niger (27.4%), Burkina Faso (7.3%), together 77% of the world total. It was harvested from 15.8 million ha, an average yield of 0.6 t/ha.
- World production, 2024
- 10.1 million t
- 10-year change
- +70%
- Producing countries
- 41
- World average yield
- 0.64 t/ha
World production, 1961–2024 (tonnes)
Map of cow peas, dry production, 2024
Share of the world total. Small island states are not drawn at this scale.
Producers ranked, 2024
| # | Country | Tonnes | Share | 10-year change | Yield, t/ha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria I | 4,287,631 | 42.4% | +101% | 0.8 |
| 2 | Niger | 2,767,637 | 27.4% | +74% | 0.5 |
| 3 | Burkina Faso I | 736,408 | 7.29% | +31% | 0.5 |
| 4 | Ghana I | 324,088 | 3.21% | +61% | 1.7 |
| 5 | Cameroon I | 250,312 | 2.48% | +41% | 0.5 |
| 6 | Mali | 240,297 | 2.38% | +61% | 0.5 |
| 7 | Tanzania I | 221,423 | 2.19% | +16% | 1.0 |
| 8 | Senegal I | 212,909 | 2.11% | +423% | 0.7 |
| 9 | Benin | 184,466 | 1.83% | +93% | 0.8 |
| 10 | Sudan I | 182,149 | 1.80% | +94% | 0.8 |
| 11 | Myanmar I | 114,040 | 1.13% | −1.0% | 0.9 |
| 12 | Yemen I | 92,109 | 0.91% | +51% | 2.7 |
| 13 | DR Congo | 86,170 | 0.85% | +23% | 0.4 |
| 14 | Mozambique E | 83,170 | 0.82% | −20% | 0.2 |
| 15 | Kenya | 78,122 | 0.77% | −44% | 0.3 |
| 16 | Malawi I | 58,270 | 0.58% | +52% | 0.5 |
| 17 | Madagascar I | 31,901 | 0.32% | +182% | 0.9 |
| 18 | Haiti I | 29,782 | 0.29% | −1.8% | 0.7 |
| 19 | Peru | 19,224 | 0.19% | +9.3% | 1.5 |
| 20 | Serbia I | 15,699 | 0.16% | −2.7% | 3.4 |
| 21 | China E | 14,377 | 0.14% | +6.5% | 1.0 |
| 22 | Uganda E | 12,561 | 0.12% | −1.0% | 0.5 |
| 23 | Sri Lanka | 11,413 | 0.11% | −25% | 1.0 |
| 24 | United States | 10,288 | 0.10% | −52% | 1.1 |
| 25 | Mauritania I | 7,948 | 0.08% | +1.0% | 0.4 |
| 26 | North Macedonia I | 7,658 | 0.08% | +0.9% | 3.7 |
| 27 | Egypt I | 7,268 | 0.07% | +2.4% | 3.8 |
| 28 | South Africa I | 4,530 | 0.04% | −7.5% | 0.4 |
| 29 | Zimbabwe | 2,924 | 0.03% | — | 0.0 |
| 30 | Gambia | 2,881 | 0.03% | — | 0.8 |
| 31 | Zambia | 1,083 | 0.01% | −80% | 0.3 |
| 32 | Eswatini I | 670 | 0.01% | −5.6% | 0.3 |
| 33 | Guinea-Bissau E | 659 | 0.01% | +7.5% | 0.2 |
| 34 | Trinidad and Tobago I | 534 | 0.01% | +6.8% | 3.2 |
| 35 | Qatar I | 297 | 0.00% | — | 12.9 |
| 36 | Jamaica | 276 | 0.00% | +6.6% | 1.1 |
| 37 | Iraq E | 260 | 0.00% | −78% | 4.7 |
| 38 | Philippines | 220 | 0.00% | −81% | 1.3 |
| 39 | Bosnia and Herzegovina E | 217 | 0.00% | +8.5% | 1.1 |
| 40 | Guyana I | 145 | 0.00% | −8.8% | 1.6 |
| 41 | Syria | 115 | 0.00% | — | 1.4 |
E = estimated by FAO, I = imputed by FAO, X = from an external organisation; other figures are official.
How concentrated is production?
The largest producer, Nigeria, accounts for 42.4% of the world total in 2024; the five largest for 82.8% and the ten largest for 93.1%.
| Year | Top 5 share | Top 10 share | Countries with data |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 81.3% | 92.2% | 32 |
| 2005 | 84.2% | 93.1% | 35 |
| 2010 | 88.3% | 95.8% | 36 |
| 2015 | 80.1% | 91.7% | 41 |
| 2020 | 81.5% | 92.5% | 41 |
| 2024 | 82.8% | 93.1% | 41 |
By continent, 2024
| Continent | Production | Share of world | Share in 2014 | 10-year change | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 9.8 million t | 96.9% | 94.9% | +73% | 24 |
| Asia | 232,831 t | 2.3% | 3.5% | +12% | 8 |
| North and Central America | 40,880 t | 0.4% | 0.9% | −22% | 4 |
| Europe | 23,574 t | 0.2% | 0.4% | −6.9% | 3 |
| South America | 19,369 t | 0.2% | 0.3% | +9.1% | 2 |
Sums of country figures; the world total also includes countries without a continent assignment, so shares may not add up to 100%.
Fastest growing and declining producers, 2014–2024
Countries with at least 0.5% of world production in 2024, change over ten years.
Area harvested and yields
The world average yield was 0.64 t/ha in 2024.
- Production, 2014–2024
- +70%
- Harvested area
- +22%
- Average yield
- +39%
- World area, 2024
- 15.8 million ha
Most of the increase came from higher yields rather than a larger harvested area.
World area harvested, 1961–2024 (hectares)
Highest yields
Lowest yields
| Country | Yield, t/ha | vs world |
|---|---|---|
| Mozambique | 0.2 | −63% |
| Kenya | 0.3 | −48% |
| DR Congo | 0.4 | −32% |
| Cameroon | 0.5 | −30% |
| Malawi | 0.5 | −27% |
Among countries with at least 0.5% of world production. Yield = production ÷ harvested area; it depends on climate, varieties, irrigation and how the crop is counted, so it is not a measure of efficiency alone.
Long-term trend, 1961–2024
- Average growth per year, 1961–2024
- +4.0%
- Average growth per year, last 10 years
- +5.4%
- Record year
- 2022 10.1 million t
- Largest yearly fall
- 2014 −31%
| Decade | Average per year | vs previous decade |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s (1961–1969) | 1.1 million t | — |
| 1970s | 1.3 million t | +15% |
| 1980s | 1.5 million t | +15% |
| 1990s | 2.9 million t | +102% |
| 2000s | 4.7 million t | +61% |
| 2010s | 7.6 million t | +61% |
| 2020s (2020–2024) | 9.7 million t | +28% |
Production per person, 2024
World production of cow peas, dry was 1.24 kg per person in 2024. The highest figures, among countries with at least 1 million inhabitants:
| # | Country | kg per person | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niger | 102 | 2.8 million t |
| 2 | Burkina Faso | 31.3 | 736,408 t |
| 3 | Nigeria | 18.4 | 4.3 million t |
| 4 | Benin | 12.8 | 184,466 t |
| 5 | Senegal | 11.5 | 212,909 t |
| 6 | Mali | 9.82 | 240,297 t |
| 7 | Ghana | 9.41 | 324,088 t |
| 8 | Cameroon | 8.59 | 250,312 t |
| 9 | North Macedonia | 4.20 | 7,658 t |
| 10 | Sudan | 3.61 | 182,149 t |
Production divided by population (FAOSTAT population estimates, 2024). Production per person is not consumption: countries export, import and use crops for feed, processing and industry.
International trade, 2024
- World exports
- 245,888 t
- Export value
- USD 194 m
- Exports as share of production
- 2.4%
- Average export price
- 0.79 USD/kg
Brazil was the largest exporter with 36.1% of the quantity reported by exporting countries; India was the largest importer with 47.0%. World exports grew 654% over ten years.
World exports, 2000–2024 (tonnes)
Largest exporters
| # | Country | Tonnes | Share | Value | USD/kg | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 88,671 | 36.1% | USD 65.8 m | 0.74 | +20,237% |
| 2 | Myanmar | 76,602 | 31.2% | USD 51.8 m | 0.68 | — |
| 3 | Madagascar | 25,603 | 10.4% | USD 18.3 m | 0.71 | +227% |
| 4 | India | 17,851 | 7.3% | USD 16.5 m | 0.92 | +9,708% |
| 5 | Peru | 6,875 | 2.8% | USD 10.1 m | 1.47 | +19% |
| 6 | Turkey | 6,597 | 2.7% | USD 7.3 m | 1.10 | +9,601% |
| 7 | Kenya | 4,608 | 1.9% | USD 3.2 m | 0.71 | +451% |
| 8 | Niger | 3,332 | 1.4% | USD 830,000 | 0.25 | −67% |
| 9 | China | 2,920 | 1.2% | USD 2.9 m | 1.01 | +5.0% |
| 10 | Netherlands | 2,299 | 0.9% | USD 3.7 m | 1.61 | +3,608% |
Largest importers
| # | Country | Tonnes | Share | Value | USD/kg | 10-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 88,975 | 47.0% | USD 68.2 m | 0.77 | +81% |
| 2 | China | 23,198 | 12.2% | USD 16.0 m | 0.69 | — |
| 3 | Turkey | 9,768 | 5.2% | USD 10.3 m | 1.05 | +456% |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates | 8,141 | 4.3% | USD 7.2 m | 0.88 | +1,104% |
| 5 | Colombia | 4,484 | 2.4% | USD 5.7 m | 1.27 | +229% |
| 6 | Iraq | 4,134 | 2.2% | USD 4.9 m | 1.19 | — |
| 7 | Portugal | 4,029 | 2.1% | USD 3.9 m | 0.97 | +34% |
| 8 | Vietnam | 3,782 | 2.0% | USD 3.0 m | 0.78 | +3,799% |
| 9 | United States | 3,703 | 2.0% | USD 5.7 m | 1.54 | +137% |
| 10 | South Korea | 3,466 | 1.8% | USD 3.2 m | 0.93 | −23% |
FAOSTAT detailed trade data (Crops and livestock products trade, release of 23 July 2026): quantities in tonnes and values in current US dollars as reported by countries; exports include re-exports. Shares are of the total reported by all exporting or importing countries. World exports and imports do not match because of timing, valuation (exports FOB, imports CIF) and gaps in reporting. Processed products such as juices, dried or canned goods are separate items.
Cowpea prices on wholesale markets
- Markets quoting
- 9
- Median price
- 0.73 EUR/kg
- Middle half of quotes
- 0.40–1.01 EUR/kg
- Latest quote
- 11 November 2026
Prices in producing countries
| Rank | Producer | Production, 2024 | Markets | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Kenya | 78,122 t | 1 | 0.62 EUR/kg |
| 22 | Uganda | 12,561 t | 1 | 0.95 EUR/kg |
Median of the midpoints of 10 current quotes converted to EUR per kg at the reference rates used on Husfarm. Markets quote different varieties, grades, origins and trade stages, so prices are not directly comparable between countries.
Questions and answers
Which country produces the most cow peas, dry?
Nigeria was the largest producer in 2024 with 4.3 million t, 42.4% of the world total, according to FAOSTAT.
What is the world production of cow peas, dry?
World production was 10.1 million t in 2024, +70% compared with 2014.
Which countries produce the most cow peas, dry?
In 2024: Nigeria (4.3 million t, 42.4%), Niger (2.8 million t, 27.4%), Burkina Faso (736,408 t, 7.3%), Ghana (324,088 t, 3.2%), Cameroon (250,312 t, 2.5%). Together they account for 82.8% of the world total.
What is the average yield of cow peas, dry?
The world average was 0.64 tonnes per hectare in 2024 (10.1 million t from 15.8 million ha harvested).
What is the wholesale price of cow peas, dry today?
The median of 10 current quotes on 9 markets tracked by Husfarm is 0.73 EUR/kg (latest quote 11 November 2026). Prices vary widely by variety, grade, origin and market.
Which country exports the most cow peas, dry?
Brazil exported 88,671 t in 2024, 36.1% of reported world exports, worth USD 65.8 m, according to FAOSTAT trade data.
Which country imports the most cow peas, dry?
India imported 88,975 t in 2024, 47.0% of reported world imports.
Where does this data come from?
Production and area figures are from FAOSTAT, the statistics database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (dataset Crops and livestock products, release of 23 December 2025). Shares, rankings, changes and averages are calculated by Husfarm.
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About the data
- Figures are production in tonnes as reported to or estimated by FAO for each calendar year; the latest year is 2024.
- Letters next to a country mark figures that are not official national data: E estimated by FAO, I imputed by FAO (filled in by a statistical model), X taken from an external organisation. Treat them as approximate.
- Shares are relative to the FAO world total; ten-year changes compare 2024 with 2014; yield is production divided by area harvested; average growth per year is the compound annual rate between the two years.
- Country series on Husfarm start in 2000; the world series starts in 1961.
Download CSV All countries and years: production, area harvested and FAO flag.
How to cite: FAO (2025). FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products — Cow peas, dry. Retrieved via Husfarm, https://husfarm.com/production/cow-peas/. Licence CC BY 4.0.
Source: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Crops and livestock products. Accessed on 4 November 2026. fao.org/faostat. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Charts, rankings and changes calculated by Husfarm.