Whole Grains: Fonio

• Fig 1: Fonio grains
  Image source: https://www.feedipedia.org/node/228

Introduction

Health experts advise everyone – men and women, young and old – that grains are a healthy necessity in every diet, and that it’s important to eat at least half our grains as “whole grains.”

Whole grains are grains which are either present in their whole form or ground into a flour while retaining all parts of the seed (bran, germ and endosperm). Compared with other types of grains, whole grains are better sources of fiber and other important nutrients, such as B vitamins, iron, folate, selenium, potassium and magnesium.

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Fonio Whole Grains and its Importance

Often referred to as the “seed of the universe,” whole grains: fonio (Digitaria exilis) is an ancient staple cereal grain that has been cultivated and enjoyed in West African countries for more than 5,000 years. Despite its importance to the everyday life of a lot of africanus, little is known about it. One of the reasons for this is the fact that during colonial times, a myth was fabricated claiming that the native crops of Africa weren’t as nutritious as the imported ones. This myth led to the displacement of native crops as second-rate, resulting in traditional food crops such as fonio being seen as “peasant food.”

Nutritional Benefits and Importance of Fonio

The following are some of the nutritional benefits of consuming fonio grains.

• Gluten free: fonio is gluten free i.e. Does not contain any gluten which makes it suitable for consumption by almost anyone and also makes it easy to be digested by even those with digestive issues.
• Diabetic friendly: Fonio contains very little sugar and this makes it suitable for consumption by diabetics as it also helps to reduce fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels in the body.
• Provides energy: fonio is rich in nutrients that support the release of energy in the body. It is a rich source of iron and a source of thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3) and phosphorus, all of which are essential nutrients for healthy energy-yielding metabolism. Iron and niacin are also essential for the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
• Rich in amino-acids: amino acids are the building blocks of protein which are essential to normal body functions. Fonio is especially rich in essential amino acids², which is what sets it apart from other grains. In particular, it contains significant amounts of cysteine and methionine, two amino acids that are important for human growth and metabolism² and are often deficient in today’s major cereals: wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, barley, and rye

Culinary Uses

“Fonio never embarasses the cook” is a saying which was coined and made famous by the Bamara people of west africa. It can be used in a variety of meals and can act as a substitute to all grains. It takes only about five minutes to cook and can yield to twice the amount cooked.

Cultivation of Fonio

Unlike most other cereal grains, fonio does well on dry, sandy soils at high altitudes and is often cultivated in place of rice when the soil is too dry to cultivate rice. It requires little nutrient and is often cultivated in soils that are considered too nutrient poor for other crops.  Asides this, the fact that Fonio also matures faster than most cereal grains makes it a favourite among farmers. It grows best at temperatures between 25 and 30°C and is propagated by broadcasting the seeds at a rate of 10 to 30kg of seed per hectare on the farm. Little to no weeding is required as the plant can outgrow and negate most weed. The soil should however be roughly loosened. Fonio plants require little to no maintenance activities to grow.

Common Pest and Diseases of Fonio

Though fonio is relatively pest- and disease-resistant, it’s vulnerable to fungal diseases and can be attacked by termites, armyworms, and other sucking insects. Fonio is vulnerable to the following diseases:

• Cercosporiosis which is caused by a fungal infection and leads to leaf lesions and leaf blight
• Pangora stunt which is caused by a virus and leads to stunted growth and yellowing of leaves.

These pest and diseases can be controlled by

• Treating with ash, neem or castor leaves
• Rotation with legumes
• Spraying insecticide and fungicides. Read more on pests and diseases of other crops here

Harvesting and Post-Harvest Activities

Fonio is harvested using traditional methods, The plants are cut using a knife or sickle and gathered into sheaths for drying. Post harvest activities include the following

• Aeration of heaps
• Drying of heaps for a minimum of two weeks before threshing
• Threshing by beating the dried plants to extract the grain
• Winnowing threshed grains, sifting and washing
• Drying for a minimum of four days
• Storage

Constraints and Challenges of Production

The major constraint to fonio production is the long and arduous process of processing the grains. The tiny grains make processing which includes dehusking and milling which is done traditionally very tasking.

Another challenge and constraint to the large scale production of the fonio plant is the wrong view people have of it as a second rate food which leads to reduced demand for it in the market and thus reduced prices making it less profitable

Opportunities for Investment in Nigeria

Once the view most people have of fonio grains being a second grade grain is changed, the demand for fonio would skyrocket due to its relative ease of growth, its ability to thrive in poor soils and its relative cheapness to produce. This would lead to an increase in price and a relative increase in returns being made by farmers who produce it.

As fonio is extremely difficult to process, setting up a processing facility which would be involved in the processing of fonio would lead to addition of value in the value chain and a resultant increase in price levels thereby increasing the incentive to produce more .

Written by Alahira Jeffrey

References

Pest and diseases management. Retrieved from http://scripts.farmradio.fm/radio-resource-packs/111-farm-radio-resource-pack/backgrounder-production-postharvest-activities-fonio/#:~:text=Though%20fonio%20is%20relatively%20pest,diseases%3A%20melting%20out%20and%20cercosporiosis.

Constraints and challenges. Retrieved from http://www.agriguide.org/index.php?what=agriguide&id=185&language=en

Cultivation of fonio. Retrieved from https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/fonio/infos/diseases_and_pests_description_uses_propagation

Whole grain definition. Retrieved from https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101

Whole grains. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/whole-grains/art-20047826

Nutritional benefits of funio. Retrieved from https://aduna.com/blogs/learn/fonio-benefits

Fonio grain. Retrieved from https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0918p12.shtml

Harvest and post-harvest activities. Retrieved from http://scripts.farmradio.fm/radio-resource-packs/111-farm-radio-resource-pack/backgrounder-production-postharvest-activities-fonio/

Feature Image Source; www.bakeryandsnacks.com