Ripple Effect Organisation will partner with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization to produce Amaranth seeds for commercial purposes.
Speaking during an agricultural field day for Amaranth growers in Kakrao ward in Suna, Migori county, Ripple Effect Kenya director Titus Sagala, said Amaranth—a vegetable crop—is a climate-smart ecological crop that has performed well in the area.
Amaranthus is a multicultural group of species and perennial plants that are short-lived where some of its species are cultivated as leaf vegetables.
Sagala said the plant which was introduced two years ago in Kakrao and West Kanyamkago wards in Migori, has done well compared to other parts of the country.
Already the Amaranthus growers in the two wards are reaping the benefits of planting vegetable crops through value addition. The vegetable crop grains are being used to produce flour that is rich in nutrients and diet compared to other flour products.
Amaranth has started to gain popularity as a health food in recent years because of its many micronutrients and anti-inflammatory properties. The crop grains are rich in fibre and protein, as well as many important micronutrients that make it a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.
Through the assistance of Ripple Effect NGO, the Amaranth growers from the two wards have been empowered to grow the crop for commercial purposes.
The groups supported by the NGO have been able to add value to the crop by producing Amaranth flour.
The flour is rich in proteins and vitamins and is currently retailing in local supermarkets and retail shops after acquiring Kenya Bureau of Standards certification.
Ripple Effect field officer Boaz Nyaoro said the certification from Kebs has become the biggest blessing for the Amaranth growers from the fact that the product can be value added; widening the market links within the South Nyanza region.
He said the Amaranth grains that make the flour have become a major source of income to the growers where different flour products like Amaranth pure, Amaranth mix-Sorghum and Millet and Amaranth cassava have hit the retail stores and supermarkets shelves in Migori.
Joseph Ochieng, an Amaranth grower and resident of Kakrao ward in Suna East said Ripple Effect organisation has assisted the community to join two cooperatives namely; the Pamoja Suna East Cooperative Society and the Suna East Cooperative that links them to markets in the county.
Ochieng who has a quarter of an acre under cultivation, acknowledged that the cash flow from value addition is good compared to planting normal vegetable varieties that are highly perishable.
He encouraged residents to embrace new modern farming enterprises to reap profits and grow economically.
