Smart Harvest - 27th February 2021

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Research. New bean varieties that sell like hot cake! P.8 Value addition: Entrepreneur spins cash from precooked beans P.3

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Legumes

2 Smart harvest

Saturday, February 27, 2021 The Standard

Crop outlook Beans popularity in Kenya may be due to the fact that bean recipes are numerous and beans are consumed almost with everything BBy Peter Theuri

ptheuri@standardmedia.co.ke

You probably interact with beans often enough to react when it appears in a story headline. You probably also note that when there is a discussion on main cash crops in the country, beans are not usually among the first suggestions.

Yet, Kenya earns a fortune from the export of beans, as much as it benefits from having a population pumped with the proteins that beans boast.

It therefore should be in national discourse that beans production declined by 10.8 per cent to 8.3 million bags in 2019.

Kenya harvested 8.5 million bags of the legume in 2015, 8.1 million in 2016, and an impressive 9.4 million in 2017, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data show.

The figures declined to 9.3 million in 2018 and later to 8.3 million in 2019. That was a drop of a cool one million bags in the year.

The year 2019 will be remembered as grim and unforgiving to the agricultural sector.

The year began with a semidrought, the long rains usually experienced around April failing.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network blamed the failure of Kenya’s long rains on tropical cyclone Idai, which “redirected moisture away from the region”.

The damage was so big that the World Bank also trimmed its forecast for Kenya’s economic growth to 5.7 per cent from 5.8 per cent following these conditions. impact of locusts The government further said 1.1 million Kenyans, mainly in the arid counties of Turkana, Marsabit, Isiolo, Tana River and Garisssa, needed humanitarian food assistance as the country battled an acute food shortage.

And then, the rains came, in

Future of beans has never bean brighter Nancy Adhiambo, cereal trader at Jubilee market in Kisumu. [Denish

Ochieng’, Standard]

torrents that left a trail of destruction, barely compensating for an immensely punitive start of the year. What survived towards the end of the year was decimated by swarms of desert locusts that cleared every leaf on their way.

When the KNBS releases their next batch of data, a possible increase in production in 2020 will amplify the extent of decline experienced in 2019.

In 2017, when production of beans was at its peak, the price was also the highest recorded in the past half a decade, in the latest Economic Survey of 2020.

A kilo was going for Sh93.96 in March of the year, the peak price, against Sh77.01 in March 2019.

Benjamin Tito, head of Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), which regulates the horticulture industry through licensing and

application of rules, in a recent interview with The Standard, put French beans among crops that are, and will remain, lucrative for the Kenyan market.

He highlighted some of the issues affecting Kenyans in their quest to maximise production of some of these crops, including beans. “Farmers should focus on high value horticultural crops such as French beans, snow peas, carrots, onions. But farmers also need access to farming quality inputs, credit facilities and capacity building on good agricultural practices.”

Majority of Kenyans grow beans as a subsistence crop, often planting in rows alongside other “main” crops.

“Beans farming in Kenya is not as common as maize. However, it is one of the common grown crops in Kenya. In fact, it is often

inter-cropped with the main crop for maximum absorption of nutrients by both plants,” writes Oxfarm, a website that is a farmers’ market place. But beans are often a part of every meal.

Grown as cash crop “Beans popularity in Kenya may be due to the fact that bean recipes are numerous and beans are consumed almost with everything and contain quite a considerable amount of protein,” writes Oxfarm.

The market for beans is high locally and internationally.

Data from HCD showed that beans earned Kenya at least Sh300 million a month in 2020.

Like for every product, it is just the rare types of a beans that fetch the best prices. With demand

exceeding supply, bean species that grow only in select places are always sure to fetch market.

“Depending on quality and type of beans, the prices per 90 kg bag of beans ranges between Sh7, 000 and Sh12, 000. Particularly, beans fetch better prices when it is not harvesting period.

The varieties Some varieties are also more expensive than others. The rose coco and kidney beans, for instance, are a bit pricey compared to the other varieties which are available in large quantities.

Beans with a high supply across the country will fetch a lower price compared to those that thrive in specific areas.”

Prices aside, the market for beans, often part of githeri, an easy-to-prepare staple food in parts of the country, is always available, Oxfarm says.

“Irrespective of the type of beans, the market is always there and since it’s a grain, you can store it and sell when the prices are high.”

Farmers in some locations have resorted to growing beans as a cash crop, backed by suitable ecological factors, including favourable temperatures and rainfall. “Beans thrive in temperatures of about 20 to 25 degrees, altitude of between 1,000m to 2,100m above sea level, rainfall of between 900mm to 1,200mm per year and a soil pH of

6.5 to 7.5.”

Last year, a group of farmers in Kieni, Nyeri, started growing yellow beans for commercial purposes, after being drained economically in seasons that saw their other cash crops fail due to lack of adequate water.

“Before I got into commercial yellow bean farming, my focus was potatoes, french beans, snowpeas, capsicum, which I often sold off to brokers to make money,” said Robert Kahoro, a farmer in Kieni.

Bean farming was only for local consumption and he had not discovered that he could do it as a business. But now he is reaping big. “One acre of yellow beans can earn me up to Sh90,000, and that with a low cost of production unlike other horticultural products, and they can be stored in hermetic bags for as long as I need to ensure I get the best deal for my produce,” he said, adding that he had joined hands with twenty other farmers to supply beans in large scale to some of Kenya’s biggest retailers.

Like Mr Kahoro, farmers planting beans are unlikely to meet a dearth of markets.

“There is high potential because demand for horticultural produce for local and export market is increasing with rising world population,” said Mr Tito.

To change from subsistence to commercial farming is probably the masterstroke.

Facts and figures on beans

10.8pc

Beans’ production in the country

2019

9.4million

Year that was grim and unforgiving year to the agricultural sector. It began with a semi-drought, the long rains usually experienced around April failing.

9.3

Year production of beans was at its peak, the price was also the highest recorded in the past half a decade, in the latest Economic Survey of 2020.

declined by this figure to 8.3 million bags in 2019.

Volume Kenya harvested of the legume in in 2017 according to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

Amount Kenya harvested in 2018 and later to 8.3 million in 2019. That was a drop of a whopping one million bags in the year.

2017

Sh93.96

Price of a kilo of beans in March of the year, the peak price, against Sh77.01 in March 2019.

Sh300mil

Amount that beans earned Kenya per month in 2020.

Sh7, 000

Depending on quality and type of beans, the prices per 90 kg bag of beans ranges between Sh7, 000 and Sh12, 000.

Over 2,000 soya farmers in Busia to get Sh25 million grant Some 2,000 farmers will benefit from a soya farming project in Busia County.

The county has been selected because it has soils favourable for soya beans.

Busia County Government, USTADI Foundation and Eden Oils Ltd have entered into an agreement that will see farmers benefit from the Sh25 million grant for soya beans farming.

County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock and Fish-

eries, Moses Osia, said the project which targets more than 2,000 farmers will run from January 2021 to December 2022.

At least 500 farmers will be recruited every season to add to those already selected for the pilot programme.

He said soya will be readily bought by Eden Oils as part of the raw materials for their oil production, while USTADI Foundation will support farmers to

acquire farm inputs especially fertiliser and the right seeds. “This will be a great opportunity for farmers to have a ready market for their produce. With this partnership, we are sure of reviving stalled oil projects like palm oil production,” said the county executive.

Osia said the project will lead to improved incomes, livelihoods and living conditions of farmers whose motto will be growing to sell and not selling to

grow. “Soya is rich in protein and is a globally recognised pre-packaged meal for humans and a source of protein for animals. It is the main component of some processed foods and supplements such as soy meat, soy flour, soymilk, soy oil and confectioneries,” said USTADI Foundation CEO George Mazuri.

Mazuri said its products are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and contain flavones, considered by dieticians and

physicians to be useful in prevention of cancer. Soya products are also rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium.

Eden Oils project manager Joseph Ngugi said for 200 farmers, there will be one lead farmer while each aggregation centre will handle 1,000 farmers.

The targeted farmers will benefit from good agricultural practices, climate smart agriculture and access to markets. [Nathan Ochunge]

Smart Harvest is published by: Standard Group PLC. Editor-in-Chief: Ochieng’ Rapuro; Managing Editor: John Bundotich; Editor: Hellen Miseda; Production Editor: William Bulemi; Revise Editors: Gathenya Njaramba, Mark Oloo; Contributors: Gloria Aradi, Gardy Chacha, Mercy Kahenda, Lydia Nyawira, Kevine Omolo, Titus Too, Stephen Rutto, Nathan Ochunbge, John Shilitsa, Manager, Print Creative: Dan Weloba; Creative Designer: Alice Ariri Photography: Benjamin Sakwa, Kibata Kihu, Kipsang Joseph E-mail: smartharvest@standardmedia.co.ke; Website: www.farmers.co.ke

Smart harvest 3

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2021 The Standard

Value Addition

A packet of the pre cooked beans. 150g pre-cooked beans (Beansy) costs Sh50. shift kiosks outside factories and companies.

Rose Mutuku displays some of the value added products from beans at her Smart Logistics Solutions Ltd company along Makutano-Kitui Road in Machakos County. [Nanjinia Wamuswa, Standard]

We process beans that get ready in 15 minutes After seeing an opportunity in the market, Rose Mutuku started processing precooked beans and other value added products

By Nanjinia Wamuswa

nwamuswa@standardmedia.co.ke

Ms Rose Mutuku is busy monitoring drying beans on a drier inside her mini factory when The Smart Harvest and Technology team visits.

Her company, Smart Logistics Solutions Ltd along Makutano-Kitui Road in Machakos County, processes raw beans into innovative and highly nutritious foods value-added products.

Her decision to venture into value addition of beans was prompted by a frustrating episode as a sorghum farmer.

“Before I started doing this, I was an aggregator and trader of sorghum. I used to buy sorghum from smallholder farmers and sell to major processors,” she says.

Though she had good days, it was not a rosy affair.

In 2015, Kenya Breweries Ltd, now EABL which was her major sorghum buyer was hit by excise duty, forcing it to momentarily stop buying from her and other

farmers. Stuck with tonnes of sorghum from farmers, Mutuku had to think outside the box.

That is when value addition came to her mind.

“I suffered huge losses and the tonnes of sorghum went bad because I could not get a mass buyer. I realised without value addition, there is little to make as a farmer. I had a lot of soul searching and reflection and that is how I ventured into food processing,” she shares her journey.

She settled on beans value chain after noticing gaps in the market.

“From my research, I realised majority of farmers grow beans and a significantly high number of consumers eat it because it is affordable and nutritious. But despite the demand, they often lack a market due to a number of factors. I spotted a unique value addition opportunity. Apart from canned beans, there is no other value addition in beans.

For instance, how long do beans take to cook?” Mutuku poses.

Generally, beans take long hours to cook and this entails time and energy wasting.

The cooking duration was an area of concern and Mutuku set out to work and reduce it drastically.

Mutuku points out that the lengthy cooking also consumes a lot of wood fuel.

“As an African woman, l know you cannot cook beans without wood fuel; either firewood or charcoal. It also takes a lot of water. To prepare 1kg of beans, you require five to six litres of water.”

After extensive research, in 2016, Mutuku started processing pre-cooked beans for sale.

“We started with common beans grown by majority of farmers,” she recalls.

She was able to reduce cooking time from more than three hours to just 15 minutes.

To actualise her plan, she used makeshift equipment. She would boil and cook beans just the normal way, on three stones, after which she put under shade to dry.

Market research Through this simple process, Mutuku could process 10-20kg of beans a day. After buying a small processing machine she started making 200kg a week.

Along the way, some beans would go bad by bursting when exposed to wind and sun.

“There was also no uniformity the way we dried the beans amid fluctuating weather. At some point, it was cold, or windy, too sunny or other times no sun at all, especially during rainy days,” she says.

She used to pack pre-cooked beans in small clear bags and

Quest for more profits

 After a nasty experience with selling sorghum, Rose Mutuku delved into beans value addition and started Smart Logistics Solutions Ltd processing a number legumes and pulses.  She buys legumes and pulses from small holder farmers and processes pre cooked beans, noddles and nutritious flour. The products are affordable because there are no middlemen,.  To get good quality raw materials, Rose Mutuku trains farmers on how to manage their crops while in the farm.  Mutuku got the training and equipment for beans processing from Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) that works with small and middle size businesses that are producing nutritious foods locally to support innovations.  Her products have been certified

by Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs)

seal using candles. That did not look attractive. She however sold to women who boiled beans for reselling to other people or make-

Turning point As demand grew, and with the anticipated increase in volumes, Mutuku started looking for an innovation to dry beans in a better and hygienic way and with uniformity.

Around that time, through her business networks, she heard people talk about Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) that focused on nutrition.

The organisation then called for proposals for support and Mutuku applied.

“Though my first attempt failed, the second went through, and qualified for their support,” she recalls.

Once on board, Mutuku says, GAIN wanted to understand her product concept and development.

The organisation gave her technical assistance including linking her to a food scientist and expert machine handlers.

After analysing her production processes, the organisation sponsored a consumer study on her product. This exposed her to a larger group of beans consumers.

“I got in touch with many customers who liked our precooked beans. They could not believe that the beans we were selling could be ready in 10-15 minutes,” she says.

As part of the package, the organisation gave her financial support to buy bigger and more efficient machine for processing the beans.

Heavy investment “From the trainings, I learnt how to operate a sophisticated machine that processes larger volumes of beans,” she says.

With the machine, precooked beans are taken through hydrothermal processing by use of hot steam to soften them and then use another equipment with dry steam to remove moisture, after which they return to their original form.

After going through that manipulation process, beans only need to soak in water for 15 minutes to be ready to eat, with low chemicals but highly nutritious.

With new equipment installed in the company, coupled with activation and promotions, demand for the precooked beans grew.

“Ours is to help consumers get food in a quicker, healthier and a safe and very hygienic way,” she says.

Mutuku is lucky because her precooked beans have a ready

market among the low income earners.

“My target was low income consumers because they eat a lot of beans, which is a cheap source of protein.”

To boost her business, Mutuku has also partnered with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), which has developed a more nutritious bean like Nyota that she uses in her food processing.

Today, her company has a capacity to run 3,000kg in a day of precooked beans.

“We have also improved a lot in terms of hygiene, product knowledge, training the staff also to understand nutrition,” she shares.

Challenges Though now the business has broken even, she recalls how at the onset people treated her precooked beans business with suspicion.

“People were initially a bit shy to pick the product, with majority wondering how beans can cook in

3,000kg 

Volume of pre cooked beans the company processes per day

10-15 minutes. They did not believe it was genuine beans.”

Another challenge was getting precooked beans certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).

“Kebs did not have a standard for it since they didn’t know where to place the product. Later, they gave us a thumbs up and now we are fully certified.”

Apart from precooked beans, Mutuku processes other valueadded products like instant nutritious noodles-the suPastar, a product of bean flour mixed with wheat flour.

They also process precooked pulses in powder form, which is mixed with water to make soup or stew.

They also make a bean snack, called Keroma Snack for those who do not fancy noodles.

“Here, we mix precooked beans, precooked millet, add mango powder and honey to sweeten, making it a nutritious chocolate bar. This is for men who do not like noodles,” she says.

To give back to the community, the company sources beans, sorghum and other African grain crops from small holder farmers in Eastern and Central regions.

4 Smart harvest

Saturday, February 27, 2021 The Standard

Legumes & Pulses

nate that seed has a germination per centage of 50 per cent. Meaning, should you decide to use it, half of your farm will not have any crop. This raises production cost as farmers are forced to practise gapping. Always go for seeds with a high germination percentage.

• Free from seed-borne diseases and pest damage. To achieve this, always buy certified seed with a stamp/sticker from Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis), indicating that it is free from pests and diseases as some cannot be seen by a naked eye.

• Free from inert materials. Do not plant seeds contaminated by stones or leaves. The inert materials alter the seed weight and can introduce other contaminants.

• Not shrivelled, mouldy or cracked.

Cracked seed may be missing the most important part which is the embryo critical for growth. Mouldy and shrivelled seeds are indications of fungal contamination which can cause crop failure right at the start.

• Not rotten or discoloured Seed rate The recommended seed rate is 40-50kg/ha, which translates to 16 to 30kg per acre. During planting, farmers are expected to observe the number of seeds per hill. Sow at least two seeds per hill. The depth of planting is four to five centimetres. Do not plant beyond five centimetres as the shoot may have trouble emerging, resulting in crop failure.

Joyce Muruku fills up cereal tins at Chaka Open air market in Kieni, Nyeri County. Muruku sells njahi at Sh200 per kilo, yellow beans at Sh140 per kilo, lentils at Sh200 per kilo, sorghum at Sh80 per kilo and groundnuts at Sh160 per kilo. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Complete step-by-step guide to successful bean farming For maximum output in bean production, plant on time or even early planting, select early maturing varieties to escape attacks, use natural preventative measures like mulches and biopesticides and chemical control as last resort.

BBy Njoki Thuo – Mwakughu

Nthuo@standardmedia.co.ke

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the world’s most important legume for human consumption, according to Katungi et al 2010. Beans are a source of proteins which makes the Kenyan population depend highly on them. The market for beans is overwhelming, and depending on quality and type of beans, the prices per 90kg bag of beans range between Sh7,000 and Sh12,000. The price is dynamic and influenced by seasons and varieties. Some varieties which are not grown by many farmers can fetch a higher price due to the difference in demand and supply.

Improved beans There are numerous bean varieties.

Between 2008 and 2018 around 33 new varieties were released through research organisations like Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), Egerton University and Kenya Seed Company.

Jerios Wachira at her beans farm in Mangu, Nakuru County. Farmers must start by planting good quality seed for good crop establishment. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] A bean researcher from Kalro David Karanja, says the new varieties are improved beans that perform better with the changes in climate, are resilient and contain trace nutrients like zinc, which is important for human growth and body condition.

“How many of these new varieties are known by change agents and farmers?”

Mr Karanja poses. His question indicates that there is a great need to educate farmers on the new varieties for them to adopt climate smart and resilient agriculture. Some of the 33 new bean varieties include Angaza, Faida and Nyota.

Bean consumption behavior Bean consumption behaviour also varies from place to place. Some communities consume the leaves as vegetables, others eat green beans like in the case of French and runner beans and the most common is the dry grain. The bean left over stover/stalks is also an excellent fodder for livestock and some communities burn it to make food additives called munyu by the Luhya community.

Bean Agronomy Farmers must start by planting good quality seed for good crop establish-

ment. The seed sourced should have the following characteristics: • One variety (one colour or pattern)- Farmers who grow from their own seed tend to mix different varieties through seed trading with fellow farmers. This does not work in their favour as the different varieties have different growth habits hence crop interaction is not optimised for maximum production.

Avoid mixing varieties not only for beans but for other crops as well.

• Viable (ability to germinate)- This can be tested out by growing 100 seed before planting and counting those that germinate. If out of 100 only 50 germi-

Bean spacing Bean spacing is influenced by a number of factors like variety and type of cropping system adopted. One can be growing beans for green bean production that French beans or beans for dry grain. You can also adopt different cropping systems like mono-cropping or intercropping. When grown as the only sole crop, the spacing is 50cm by 10cm a bean. Banana intercrop has a spacing of 45cm by 20cm. Different intercrops have different spacing.

Bean fertility and crop nutrition Before deciding on any crop nutrition activity for your bean crop, it is always advisable to do soil analysis. This is because beans have the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil hence the need to follow the write crop nutrition guidelines. During planting, use well decomposed manure and DAP. DAP helps in root formation which is key for the bean crop. Consider top dressing before the crop flowers. After flowering no activity should take place till the pods form to avoid flower fall.

Weeding Up to 50 per cent crop losses can occur due to uncontrolled weeds. The first weeding should be done two weeks after emergence. Weed early before weeds grow big and compete with your bean crop. Second weeding should be done before flowering. After flowering do not weed but hand pull weeds as necessary to prevent flower abortion and disease attack.

Key Bean Diseases & Pests Beans are sensitive to pests and diseases and can easily be wiped out if not properly taken care of no matter the growth stage. It is therefore recommended that you take care of the beans through all the stages. Practise weekly scouting in your bean crop to assess performance and identify any pests or disease. This helps you to identify the incidences of pests and diseases early for timely management. This is before economic injury levels are attained. Eco-

Smart harvest 5

Saturday, February 27, 2021 The Standard

New approaches to Industrial Processing to enhance bean marketing There are emerging technologies that farmers can adopt to add value to their beans for greater market prices. Current approaches include: • Canned beans • Wet beans • Frozen beans • Precooked beans • Bean flours- for blending • Bean snacks • Bean pasta Simple Bean Recipe for Kimanga Kimanga is a meal from the Taita, a coastal community, which is simple and easy to make. The recipe calls for cassava, sweet potatoes and beans.

To feed two people you will need: 2 Cups of boiled beans ¼ a kilo of boiled cassava ¼ a kilo of boiled sweet potatoes.

Salt to taste ½ cup water

nomic injury levels are levels of infestation or infection which do not make any business sense to apply any control or management methods, the crop will have been lost. Always select preventative care and measures over reactive. Early intervention will save your bean crop investment.

Anthracnose disease Anthracnose is a fungal disease mainly spread via infected seeds. Once crop is attacked by diseases, the symptoms

Method: Mix the pre-boiled ingredients in a single pot.

Pour boiled beans in your pot then the cassava and sweet potatoes.

Add your water and steam till soft.

Reduce the water then mash the meal to your preferred consistency.

Serve while hot.

The dish goes well with milk.

show on stem, leaves and pods. Control is difficult. Don’t use seed from infected plants. Use clean certified seeds.

Bean common mosaic virus Symptoms manifest as an irregular mosaic pattern of light yellow and green or a band of dark green along the veins on an otherwise green leaf. Foliage may pucker and warp in size, often causing the leaf to roll up. Grow tolerant varieties from certified seeds. Control aphids if the variety grown is not tolerant.

Fusarium Root Rot Fusarium causative fungus thrives best in warm temperatures. Solarisation kills off the fungus by raising temperature up to an extreme heat level where no fungus can survive. Plant tolerant varieties. Practice crop rotation (and not with Irish potatoes) and treat planting seed with a fungicide like Apron Star and Murtano.

Leaf Rust It is caused by a fungus which attacks the leaves, stems and pods of bean plants. Rust spots have red-brown powdery substance. If not controlled in good time, excessive infection eventually leads to death of plant or plant parts, causing huge losses. Plant resistant varieties. Rotate with non-host plants like cereals.

Maintain field hygiene and if infected, spray fungicides alternating active ingredient (with sticker).

Powdery mildew Symptoms include twisted, buckled, or distorted leaves with a whitish substance. Apply Sulphur-based fungicides as preventive rather than going curative.

Start the crop on well moisture fertilised soil for crop to be strong.

Do not carry out overhead irrigation. Do not grow crop under shades.

Bean Pests

Do weed control early enough. When problem worsens chemicals can also be used.

White Fly Control Remove weeds which hide the pests, maintain field hygiene after weeding and use of chemicals.

Pests at Bean Podding stage Pod Borers Beans are known to fix nitrogen in the soil.

Cutworm Apply an insecticide late in the afternoon for best control. A mulch of neem leaves is useful against cutworms.

Bean Fly Control Early planting prevents high damage which come later. Earthing /building up the soil around the plants to cover the roots at two to three weeks after emergence.

Chemical control using various systemic insecticides can be adopted.

Thrips Control Adopt different cultural control methods like timely weeding, use of neem oil and botanical control like BotaniGard ES. Aphids Control Cut off and compost stems holding aphid clusters. Dusting the plants with flour constipates the pests.

Most of the pod borers are damaging at caterpillar stage, like bollworm larva, Heliothis larva. Always destroy plant debris of previous crop by either using it in a compost pit or as animal feed. This ensure that the eggs laid there will not go on to the next growth cycle. Use plantderived products, such as neem, derris, pyrethrum and chilli (with the addition of soap).

Sucking Insects Plant sucking bugs occur from vegetative to early podding stage. The pests can be controlled by planting repellent plants such as parsley “dhania” and onions within bean plants.

Synthetic pyrethroids are effective, but will also kill natural enemies. Use plant-derived products like in pod borers.

When using chemicals, do not repeatedly use one type of insecticide to avoid resistance. Do NOT mix insectides and foliar fertilisers in one spray tank.

[The writer is FarmKenya Initiative project leader. BSc Agriculture, Egerton, MSc AICM, UoN]

SPONSORED CONTENT

Why extension is key in improving farmers’ livelihoods

By Caroline Mwendwa

P

atrick Mumbi, a member of Mutulani Poultry Cooperative Group, knew no better life, than farming for household consumption. He kept a few chickens and goats and grew just enough food to feed his family.

This was until he met one Mr. Joseph Mbithi a field officer under BvAT’s Outreach Programme. Mr Mbithi introduced him to the idea of farming with an aim to make profits and improve his living standard and that of his family.

Through Mbithi, Patrick discovered The Organic Farmer Magazine, a publication of Biovision Africa Trust and his life has never been the same. “I used to be an average farmer and felt limited by lack of capital to make any investment to expand my farming activities into income generating ventures,” says Patrick. But this changed when he came across an article in TOF, elaborating on how farmers can make use of available materials to construct poultry houses without having to invest money into the project. “I learnt from The Organic Farmer Magazine about making a chicken house using available material within my homestead.

Thereafter, Mr Mbithi, visited our farmers’ group and trained us on how to do it using poles from tree

branches to construct a portable chicken house, that is well aerated with enough space to avoid crowding,” recalls Patrick. While training them, Mbithi, emphasized to them that there is market for chicken if only they are interested in expanding their houses to keep more chicks and venture into a small-scale poultry business.

“I used to be an average farmer and felt limited by lack of capital to make any investment to expand my farming activities into income generating ventures.”

Patrick took interest in this idea. Through training by Mbithi, he constructed the housing and bought improved Kienyeji chicken with a plan to multiply them for market. Today, Patrick sells over eight chickens in a day. “Chicks aged between one and one and a half months sell at Kes300 each, a hen at Kes800 and a cock at Kes1,200. Patrick is excited about the changes his small poultry business has enabled in his homestead, especially in catering for the day-to-day household expenses.

Improved livelihoods Mr Mbithi is a household name among farmers in Makueni owing to the development ideas he has injected in many farmer groups, whose members’ lives have improved. “When I first visited Mutulani Poultry Co-operative Group, to which Mr Patrick is affiliated, they had invested in merry-go-round but had not put in place a development plan. I approached them, first with the idea to buy 3,000 litre tanks, to store water for their families that would last from one rain season to the next.

With support from the County government of Machakos, all the members were able to acquire tanks at a discounted price of Kes 17,000, down from the retailer price of Kes21, 000. Having ticked the clean water box, the group then set targets to ensure that every member had solar system installed in their homes. Today out of a total of forty members, 28 have installed solar systems and some of the members have electricity installed.

Mbithi also encouraged them to purchase energy saving jikos or have improved jikos constructed in their kitchen. Today, 24 members have the modern jikos in place of the old fashioned three cooking stones in their homes.

Mr. Joseph Mbithi looks on as farmer Patrick Mumbi administers vaccine to his chicken during a visit to the poultry farm. [photo by Musdalafa Lyaga.]

“With support from the County government of Machakos, all the members were able to acquire tanks at a discounted price of Kes 17,000, down from the retailer price of Kes21,000.”

“My plan now is to ensre that every member in the group, is at least making Kes4,000 weekly from sales of farm produce,” says Mbithi. Most farmers in the group, have been linked to markets for their produce through Mbithi’s efforts to create partnerships with farm produce buyers including institutions and other retailers.

Others through constant training on marketing, have cut a niche in supplying farm produce from farmers to large scale buyers.

6 Smart harvest

Saturday, February 27, 2021 The Standard

Reality Check

My highs and lows with yellow beans farming Young Benson Chanzu, a Business Leadership graduate, on how he turned his farm into a money-minting venture after stressful episodes

couraged after flowering.

With proper farming practices, yellow beans mature after two and half months compared to other varieties that take about three months.

An acre has a capacity of producing between 15 to 18 bags of 90 kilos.

One of the biggest advantages of growing yellow beans is the ready market and each kilo can fetch between Sh75 and Sh120.

Chanzu says one of the biggest mistakes many yellow bean farmers make is intercropping the crop which affects production.

“Farmers are discouraged from intercropping yellow beans with crops like maize as that affects quality. When intercropped with maize, they acquire a whitish colour,” he says.

BBy Mercy Kahenda

mkahenda@standardmedia.co.ke

After completing his degree in Business Leadership at Daystar University, Benson Chanzu, 32, decided to put the skills acquired on his farm in Njoro, Nakuru County.

Chanzu says he has always been passionate about farming. He started by growing wheat and potatoes which are commonly grown in the area but the venture was not lucrative.

One day, while still pondering on his next move, he took part in a training organised by the Nakuru County department of agriculture at Egerton University.

It is at the training in 2019 that Chanzu got the inspiration to farm yellow beans.

“I have always been passionate about farming but when wheat and potatoes failed me, I almost gave up but the training opened a fresh chapter for me. I wanted something that could earn me money within a short period, and yellow beans were the best choice,” Chanzu says.

Market rates To kick start the venture, he had to raise Sh60,000 to lease a 5-acre piece of land, cultivate it and plant his first crop. He says from each acre, he harvested 14 bags. He sold most of the produce at Nakuru retail market, at Sh45 a kilo.

Benson Chanzu at his farm in Njoro, Nakuru County. [Mercy Kahenda, Standard] Though getting mark e t wasn’t much of a hassle, he embarked on a research in which he discovered that the beans would fetch a better price if sold fresh.

Most consumers, he says, preferred fresh beans as opposed to dried ones due to their high nutritional value.

Armed with the information acquired through the research, Chanzu pitched his produce to

EXPERT TAKE Prof Miriam Kinyua, a

crop breeder at Eldoret University advises farmers to adopt bean varieties that have been researched for quality yields.

“Farmers should only adopt seeds that have undergone analytical testing in laboratories for enhanced production,” she says.

The researcher also advises farmers to plough land, and harrow before planting begins.

Soil preparation for the planting of the beans should start before the main rains to provide conducive seed germination and plant development.

“Early land preparation

also helps aerate the soil, control weeds, improve filtration, and provide soils with the right temperatures for germination,” she says.

Farmers, she adds are also encouraged to plant the seeds at the onset of the long rains as this boosts quality yields.

To prevent post-harvest losses, farmers are advised to fumigate the produce with recommended chemicals. Beans can also be stored in special storage bags that can help to keep weevils at bay.

“Beans should be dried well to avoid post-harvest losses that come with poor storage,” she said.

schools, hospitals and hotels.

“I discovered that hospitals preferred serving patients fresh beans as opposed to dried ones so I approached a couple of them and they agreed to buy my produce,” he says.

Good Farming Practices Before planting the legume crop, Chanzu says he makes sure the farm which he has increased to eight acres now, is well-prepared. Ploughing is done twice and this has to be done before the onset of rains.

How the crops are spaced during planting, he says, also matters a lot. Something between 5 to 10 centimetres, with rows at one and a half feet, is good enough.

“Using rows when planting is encouraged for easier management of the crop during production. Spacing is also key to quality production. Overpopulating the plants might lead to nutrient deficiency in the soil,” says Chanzu.

At about 21 days after germination, weeds are controlled either through weeding or application of herbicides. After clearing the weeds, vegetative herbicides are applied.

Second weeding is done at six weeks ahead of the flowering stage that occurs at between 45 to 50 days after germination. Weeding is dis-

Disease Control Disease and pest control is also key in bean farming, explains the farmer.

“Pest and diseases are controlled through spraying failure to which, quality and quantity of production will be affected,” he adds.

For quality production, Chanzu advises farmers to purchase seeds from certified sellers or from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro).

“Spacing is also key to quality production.

Overpopulating the plants might lead to nutrient deficiency in the soil,” Bean farmer

However, he says getting the right seeds is not an assurance for high yields as there are a lot of substandard herbicides and pesticides in the market which water down any other best practice applied by a farmer.

Chanzu says he has been a victim and urges the government to put in place necessary measures to cushion farmers against unscrupulous traders who only care about profits.

“It is unfortunate that substandard chemicals have flooded the market, an issue that makes farmers incur huge losses,” he notes.

Chanzu says another challenge that gives him sleepless nights, is the changing weather patterns as sometimes it is hard to predict whether the rains will be sufficient or too much for his crop.

Key lessons from 40 years of growing crop

M

eshack Nyambane started farming as soon as he completed his secondary education, four decades ago and has never looked back.

The 67-year-old father of nine is a successful farmer at Nyabiosi village in Nyaribari Chache Constituency, Kisii County, harvesting up to 30 bags of beans a year from the three planting seasons.

Nyambane says he sells his beans for up to Sh10,000 a bag when demand is high and Sh8,000 a bag when demand is low with most of it sold in the nearby Keroka Town. However, some dealers prefer to buy directly from his farm.

Minimise losses “Bean farming is one of the easiest to do. I have seen many farmers opting to plant it with other crops like maize, sugarcane and bananas making sure that they have utilised their farms to maximise on the profits they get and they have never been disappointed,” says Nyambane.

He also supplies beans to nearby schools and hotels among other facilities and he says he has never struggled to find a ready market for his crop nor has he ever felt any pressure to dispose his harvest at a throwaway price.

Nyambane says planting crops like beans is easy because they can be preserved for a long time hence farmers are forced to lower prices in a bid to dispose them unlike perishable crops which have to be sold at very low prices to lessen losses.

Focus is Key He encourages fellow farmers to embrace bean farming since they can always keep their produce until the market prices are good and then sell them.

“Currently, I have planted various beans varieties on a twoacre parcel of land and I expect a bounty harvest in the first season of the year. With the profit I

get, I will use it to pay school fees for my last three children in secondary school,” says Nyambane.

He recalls the January 2015 to March 2015 and January 2018 to March 2018 seasons as some of the worst seasons in his farming journey with lack of rain experienced in the Gusii region leading to huge losses.

Nyambane says bean farming has enabled him educate his children with some already employed. He argues that he could not have managed the same feat had he kept his focus on other crop farming and dairy farming.

He considers farming a full time job saying that one thing he likes about it is that he is selfemployed and decides the programme of his day to day activities unlike working for another person.

“Bean farming is a lucrative activity for most farmers in the Gusii region bearing in mind that many residents have small farms but we mix it with the planting of other crops enabling us to take care of our family’s needs,” he says.

Good and bad days He plans to use the proceeds from his farming project to acquire more grade cattle, noting that with old age catching up with him, he may not manage his farms like he used to in the past as most of his children are engaged in other activities.

Nyambane says the greatest lesson he has learnt from bean farming is that there is always a high and a low season and a time to make profits and at times there are losses incurred depending on how the crop fared on in a particular season.

“One thing I have learnt in farming is to never lose hope.

Always be ready to get back on your feet after suffering losses.

Farming always has good and bad times with the best times superseding the bad ones,” he says.

[Edwin Nyarangi]

Meshack Nyambane at his bean farm in Birongo in Kisii County. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]

7

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2021 The Standard

SPONSORED CONTENT

Improving Resilience in Rural Water Systems in ASAL counties through Public Private Community Partnerships

By Gerard Nyele gnyele@standardmedia.co.ke

W

ater scarcity affects more than 40 per cent of people globally, an alarming figure that is projected to rise as temperatures do. Although 2.1 billion people have improved water sanitation since 1990, dwindling drinking water supplies are affecting every continent.

A water mapping exercise conducted by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation – a notfor-profit international development organisation helping poor communities raise incomes and access basic services- in 2014 revealed that almost 1/3 of rural water systems are dysfunctional at any given time and 2/3 of rural water systems malfunction within 3-5 years post-construction.

As a result, more and more countries are experiencing water stress, and increasing drought and desertification is already worsening these trends. It is projected that at least one in four people will suffer recurring water shortages by 2050.

Access to adequate and quality water is anchored in the Kenyan Constitution (2010), and a prominent factor in the Common Programme Framework (CPF) that operationalises Kenya’s Ending Drought Emergencies’ (EDE) strategy. The EDE Strategy is

the government’s commitment to end the worst of the suffering caused by drought by 2022. The EDE-CPF was developed jointly between the Government and its development partners and focuses on the 23 most drought-prone counties in Kenya.

Collectively these are known as the Arid and Semi‑arid Lands or ASAL counties.

The European Union Delegation to Kenya partnered with the National Government to fund the End Drought Emergencies: Climate Proofed Infrastructure for Improved Water Supply and Sanitation in ASALs (EDE-CPIRA) program.”

On this measure, The European Union Delegation to Kenya partnered with the National Government to fund the End Drought Emergencies: Climate Proofed Infrastructure for Improved

Water Supply and Sanitation in ASALs (EDE-CPIRA) program.

In a stakeholder’s dialogue forum convened by the EDECPIRA implementing partners SNV and the WaterFund brought together stakeholders that included representatives from the Ministry of Water Sanitation and Irrigation, the eight target county governments namely: Baringo, Kajiado, Kilifi, Kitui, Mandera, Samburu, Taita-Taveta and West Pokot; the European Union, the regulator – Water Services Regulatory Board and local private sector firms discussed and validated the findings of a baseline survey. The eight-county ministers also committed to supporting the rural water systems which were assessed to be malfunctioning due to mismanagement and lack of funds.

Under the EDE-CPIRA program, the Water Sector Trust Fund has been awarded a Euro 17,650,000 (Ksh 2 Billion) grant by the Government of Kenya and the European Union to implement two key result areas - namely: Result 1: Communities in ASAL areas have improved access to water supply and sanitation services; Result2: Sustainable management of water resources in ASALs is improved WaterFund is a state corporation under the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, with the mandate to

provide conditional and unconditional grants to the Counties, thanked the European Union for their support, and is now calling for more public-private sector partnerships and collaboration to solve the water challenges in the country.

WaterFund Chief Executive Officer, Ismail Shaiye said for the Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved, deliberate efforts and huge investments need to be made. “For us to achieve the SDGs, we need to invest KSh. 100 Billion Kenya Shillings every financial year in the water sector. We are currently investing KSh. 70 billion, meaning that there is a deficit of KSh. 30 billion. This requires more partnerships with the private sector to cover this deficit,” he said while speaking at the stakeholder’s workshop.

Mr Shaiye added that “Climate change is affecting the water sector and through these kinds of initiatives, the Ministry of Water and Sanitation in conjunction with the European Union has developed climate proofed infrastructures such as use of solar power used in water supply projects.”

The eight counties surveyed in the baseline will benefit from 20 million Euros (approximately 2.6 billion shillings) to explore ways to adopt climate-proofing infrastructure and promote effective and sustainable

management of rural water systems in the implementation of the project.

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation was financed by the European Union to a total amount of EUR 2 Million to undertake Result 3: - Implementing Public-Private Community Partnerships (PPCPs).

This result area will ensure that the community water systems are managed sustainably.

SNV undertook a baseline survey in all the eight counties and has disseminated the results in this workshop to inform their future engagements and ensure smooth and robust PPCP implementation.

While deliberating in same forum, the SNV Kenya Country Director Jeen Kootstra said “Together, the partnership seeks to develop infrastructure and introduce a multistakeholder management arrangement that are envisaged to improve the functionality, reliability, and resilience of rural water systems; against the backdrop of changing climate conditions.”

County governments have been challenged to identify possible partnership areas as water is a devolved function.

“County governments must provide an enabling environment to improve rural water services” said Mr Shaiye.

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Thomas Asumeri has never looked back since he harvested and sold a new type of beans that was undergoing trials in his farm.

The new bean varieties, Angaza, Nyota and Faida have been developed by the Centre for International Tropical Agriculture.

Asumeri, a farmer in Borabu, Nyamira County, says unlike other bean varieties, the Angaza are fast maturing, resistant to disease and give more yields per acre.

For better results, experts advise that the beans should be planted with phosphoric fertilisers and a foliar spray made as they prepare to flower. The beans also have to be well sprayed against nematodes and destructive insects.

Positive attributes Because of their positive attributes, since he harvested them, Asumeri says buyers keep visiting his farm for orders.

“The beans sell like hot cake in the market and traders can’t seem to get enough. I sold a kilo at Sh180, about Sh80 more than the ordinary beans,” he shares.

From an acre, Asumeri harvested eight to 10 sacks, unlike with the normal bean varieties which used to give him three bags per acre.

Previously, the farmer was planting Wairimu, Rose cocoa, Onyoro and Amini which would fetch him between Sh80 and Sh120 a kilo.

So why are the beans so popular?

Justine Mabeya, a Technology Transfer Officer with CIAT says the new beans are more popular because of their high content of minerals. The beans have high content of iron and zinc, essential in the human body.

The two are key minerals in cognitive development of children while Zinc is highly regarded for its role in replenishing of male reproductive hormones.

The beans also mature early with farmers having to wait for only 60 days before harvesting.

The three bean varieties, according to experts, are quite different from the existing cultivars.

“They have many broad leaves and the colours of their flowers differ from many of the existing cultivars. They also produce a lot of fat pods that can count up to 20,” says Dr

About the new bean varieties:  They mature fast within 60-70 days

 They have double

content of iron and zinc

 They are drought resistant

 Develop many broad

leaves and up to 20 fat pods  Farmer can harvest up to 10 bags per acre.

Boaz Waswa, a scientist with CIAT. Hybrid qualities Waswa adds that the plants have a high ability to fix nitrogen in soil than the rest in the family.

Josey Kamanda, one of the lead researchers with Technology for African Agricultural Transformations (TAAT) says the new beans have been under research and development since 2018 before they were recently released by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) through CIAT. “We developed these three cultivars from other bean varieties not grown in Kenya and which have hybrid qualities of such important minerals. We used the traditional varieties and the exotic ones to develop these special attributes,” Josey Kamanda, one of the scientists who developed the beans, says.

Like Asumeri, many farmers in Kisii have embraced the new beans for the numerous benefits.

Paul Mokaya, another bean farmer in Mogusii village, about 10 kilometres from Asumeri’s home, has been keen on multiplication of the new seeds for sale.

He has planted them for about four seasons and all along, he has been selling them exclusively to neighbours who have also heard about their market value which is high compared to other bean types.

“Since I started growing these new bean varieties, I have seen positive change in terms of the yields and sale. I have no regrets ditching the other varieties,” Mokaya says.

Because of the popularity

the beans have gained in the areas where they have been launched, Mokaya says he sells all his harvests at the farm gate due to high demand.

Pilot project At first CIAT, in conjunction with Nyamira County, piloted the bean varieties on Mokaya’s farm before letting him do the farming himself.

With success on his farm, he has become the bean champion helping other farmers to improve yields from their farms.

Sh180

 The price of the new bean variety compared to the old the that costs Sh80

Mokaya is the chairman of Makutano Self-Help Group, an association of farmers in Borabu sub-county, which is now actively involved in growing and multiplying the new beans varieties.

Agriculture Executive in Nyamira Peris Mong’are says the county will help farmers with extension services so as to continue multiplying the beans.

“We are also partnering with other stakeholders like bean manufacturing companies to multiply the seeds for planting so that many growers benefit from it,” Mong’are says.

Already, farmers from Western Kenya including Migori, Homa Bay, Nyamira, Kisii, Siaya counties and lower and upper Eastern regions have been sensitised about the new beans and the uptake is positive.