Are you trying to eat healthy? Or is it an agricultural venture? No matter how you look at it, everything starts with knowing more about what you fancy. Legumes, the family of foods that encompasses beans, peas and lentils, are a nutritional powerhouse. The fact that legumes have high nutritional value, are highly storable and are delicious make them a staple for Kenyans. So, what are the legumes types grown in Kenya, and what are the market rates you can get from your produce?
It is impressive how much you can reap from the soil and nature if you know how to take advantage. An agricultural venture makes sense when the result – profit – makes sense. And legumes seem like a pretty great idea for someone looking to embark on their first venture.
But you must know more about the most-consumed legumes and those regarded as the most nutritious to reap big in the market. So, what are the common types grown in Kenya, and how do they sell?
What are legumes?
The term legume refers to the edible seeds of any plant from the Fabaceae or Leguminosae family that grow in pods. In layperson's terms, legumes are a family of plants whose fruit is a pod, making it a vegetable.
There are thousands of different species of legume plants. The plant species also come in different shapes and sizes and are consumed in many forms, including split, ground into flours, dried, canned, cooked, or frozen whole legumes.
Legumes are staples in plant-based diets thanks to their nutritional profiles. They are a high-protein substitute for meat in almost any dish.
Types of legumes found in Kenya?
Numerous essential legumes are in the human diet today, but not all are grown in Kenya, as there are climatic conditions and weather patterns to consider. There is also the element of demand and supply.
As much as you might want to grow a particular legume in Kenya, the market might not be interested in it, and that is why it is essential to understand your demand dynamics before venturing into legume farming.
The main legumes in Kenya by small-scale farmers for subsistence and commercial purposes include common beans, cowpeas, soybeans, groundnuts, and lablabs.
List of legumes with pictures
Farmers in Kenya mostly grow legumes and maize for subsistence and commercial purposes. And in Kenya, the primary legume growing areas include Eastern, Central, Western and Nyanza provinces at altitudes varying from 1500 to 2500 meters above sea level. The following are the common types of beans and their names.
Rose coco
Rose coco are large cream-coloured seeds with red dots. This legume grows well in medium altitude areas and is tolerant to the common bean Mosaic virus and anthracnose.
Mwezi moja beans
These beans are one of the most common plants in Kenya. They are beige or light brown and have long, broad pods. They perform best in warmer areas and are a medium-yield crop. The bean variety is perfect for the short rainy season.
Chelelang
Chelelang, the wonder bean, is a commercial-improved variety you often see on the shelves. It performs well in medium altitudes and is known to tolerate root rot.
Mwitemania bean
The Mwitemania bean is cream in colour with black-brown spots. The seeds are oval, and the crop prefers a medium altitude. It is tolerant to drought and halo blight disease.
Yellow beans
Yellow beans are one of the common varieties in Kenya and are preferred by many. The crop has long vines, and the seed is large and kidney-shaped.
Black beans
Black beans grow well in dry regions and have high nutritional value because of their black colour.
Red haricot beans
The red haricot is an incredible bean species growing well in almost all ecological regions. However, it is perfect in medium to dry areas. It is ideal for intercropping.
Common bean
You probably eat this the most. The common bean (red kidney bean) is a staple in Kenya. The legume grows in various altitudes and flowers in 35 to 55 days. The potential yield of this variety is around 1,400 to 2,000 kilograms per hectare (7-10 bags per acre).
Black dolichos bean
Black dolichos bean (Njahi) is a nutritious legume with no enemies (pests and diseases). This means you don't have to worry about pest control practices when you plant this healthy variety. Lactating mothers often use it.
Other legumes types in Kenya
Although beans are the most common legumes consumed in Kenya, other varieties, including pigeon peas, cow peas and green grams, also grow in the country and are quite common in households. They include:
- Kamande
- Brown Mbaazi
- Njugu cia Gikuyu cream
- Njugu kumbwa
- Mbaazi Mwezi
- Ndengu Tosha
- Karembo
- Biashara
- Machakos 66
- Katumani
- Black cowpeas
- Kabuli and Desi
- Desmodium
- Alfalfa
- Groundnuts
Market price of legumes in Kenya
It is important to note that the market price of legumes in Kenya varies with season and region. The season dictates availability. Therefore, the market price increases with increased demand and reduces when demand decreases.
The average price of a 90kg bag of yellow beans retails the highest in Nairobi at Ksh.16,000, while 1kg retails at Ksh.190. The same bag sells for Ksh.14,000 in Kakamega. Therefore, the average price of beans in Kenya is between Ksh.10,000 and Ksh.15,000. Other varieties like rose coco and kidney beans fetch a higher price.
Grow the suitable legume for your climate
While exploring the different legumes types that can grow in Kenya, one clear thing is that climatic conditions matter greatly. Therefore, looking at this first and profits later is integral, as the former can cancel the possibility of earnings after harvest.
Are you looking for the best plants to grow in dry areas in Kenya? Tuko.co.ke featured an informative article that lists the most suitable plants that thrive well in dry areas and their uses.
Many people assume that dry areas are already lost causes, but interestingly, numerous plants grow well here. So, what species thrive well in arid regions?
