- • Researchers say the Nyota bean variety is high yielding, nutritious and cooks faster.
- • Consumers cushioned against buying any flour made from legumes that have not been cooked since the human body cannot digest flour made from uncooked legumes.
Image: AGATHA NGOTHO
The Nyota bean variety is high yielding and gives double the price of what other old bean varieties fetch in the market.
Nyota is a Swahili word which means star, and by the look of things, the future of more than 100 farmers in Kiambogo in Nakuru county is bright.
Lucy Wairimu, the secretary Ushirikiano Women Group in Kiambogo-Gituamba in Nakuru county said she makes about Sh60,000 from the sale of the Nyota bean variety every season.
“Before I started growing the Nyota variety, I used to grow Mwitemania, Wairimu and yellow bean varieties. I could only manage to harvest three to four bags in an acre, but with Nyota, I get about 10 to 12 bags per acre,” she said.
Besides high yields, good prices and being nutritious, the new bean variety cooks faster. It takes 20 minutes to cook the Nyota unlike the other varieties which can take 45 minutes to an hour to cook using a pressure cooker.
During a media field trip in Kiambogo, Nakuru county, Wairimu said the group formed in 2013 has 96 women, each growing beans in at least two acres of land with the minimum of about one quarter acre.
She said that last year, a 90kg bag of yellow bean variety fetched Sh3,500, a bag of Mwitemania was selling at Sh5,500. In February this year, Wairimu sold a 90kg bag of Nyota at Sh7,000.
She said they have a direct link to market and their produce is bought right at the farm gates and it is a cash on delivery business transaction where they get paid via M-Pesa.
Cecialia Njaaga, the vice chairperson of the group in Gituamba joined in 2017 and started growing the Nyota variety in 2020. She says she planted a one acre farm and harvested 10 bags.
"I have two children whom I'm able to pay school fees for through proceeds from the sale of beans. In a year, I make about Sh150,000 from growing beans. I am planning to expand my farm to one and half acres," she said.
Rachel Njenga, an agriculture extension officer in Elementaita ward in Gilgil subcounty said many farmers in the area grow the old varieties and the production is low.
She said these varieties yields three to four bags but Nyota gives double the yield in same acreage.
Njenga said the cost of producing one kilo of beans is Sh40 and the sale is almost Sh80 per bag. She said Nyota is rich in ion and zinc.
Dr David Karanja, the National Coordinator Green Legumes at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organization said it is important for farmers to adopt high yielding and disease resistant seed varieties to enable them harvest quality produce that can compete in the international markets.
He spoke on Wednesday while training members of the Ushirikiano Women Group on behavioural change to be able to grow Nyota bean commercially with the quality that is required.
“Some of the behavioural changes required are knowing which variety to grow, who is going to buy it, how it is grown, good agricultural practices and control of pests and diseases. This will help farmers produce quality beans that is in demand by exporters, processors and the major off takers,” Karanja said.
He explained that they started with the women a few years ago under the pre-cooked project funded by IDRC and an Australian organisation, National government in partnership with Nakuru county.
He said Nakuru and Nyandarua are among the counties with high levels of malnutrition though they are not food deficient.
Statistics from Nakuru’s department of health indicated that out of a population of 275,921 children under five, an estimated 27.9 per cent are stunted. This is above the national level of 26 per cent, while another five per cent are wasted and 10.2 per cent are underweight.
“The two counties have levels of malnutrition which are above 30 per cent and this is attributed to the feeding habits. In order to address this, Karlo developed micro-nutrient rich beans that were officially released in 2017,” he said. These include Angaza and Faida varieties which are for medium and high altitude areas.
Karanja said the two varieties have high levels of ion and zinc, are drought tolerant and take a shorter time to cook.
“They also have very low flatulent (gassy) levels which means people will not suffer from constipation,” he said.
Karanja cautioned consumers against buying any flour made from legumes that have not been cooked since the human body cannot digest flour made from uncooked legumes such beans, dorichos (njahi), soyabeans, cow peas, pigeons peas or green grams.
-Edited by Sarah Kanyara