KENYA: Farmers in western Kenya take up soya bean production in the hope that they can increase their income
Record ID:
362355
KENYA: Farmers in western Kenya take up soya bean production in the hope that they can increase their income
- Title: KENYA: Farmers in western Kenya take up soya bean production in the hope that they can increase their income
- Date: 24th September 2012
- Summary: VARIOUS OF EVELYNE WAFULA, FOOD TECHNOLOGIST, MABANGA AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND COLLEAGUE GRINDING SOYA BEAN AT FACTORY VARIOUS OF SOYA PASTE BEING COLLECTED WORKER LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF PASTE BEING MIXED WITH WATER SOLUTION BEING PORED INTO BOILER BOILER BEING SEALED FIRE VARIOUS OF PROCESSED SOYA MILK (SOUNDBITE) (English) EVELYNE WAFULA, FO
- Embargoed: 9th October 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kenya
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Business,Industry
- Reuters ID: LVA7K22BPR4FOT4O8Z9QBYDWLK8F
- Story Text: Kennedy Seng'enge and his children are out in the farm weeding this season's soya crop in Bungoma, western Kenya.
Kennedy started growing the beans early this year after a friend told him that the legumes had good returns. Previously, Kennedy grew sugarcane but says the returns were not favourable as factories always delayed payment for cane farmers like him, making it difficult to plan for is family.
Kennedy says so far he is happy with his soya crop. He hopes to make about 1,000 US dollars from his 1 acre plot when he harvests the beans which take about three months to grow. Much more money compared to the 400 dollars he used to make from sugar cane which takes 18 months to mature.
"In order to get cow milk, there must be enough rain (for pasture) or you will have to buy animal feed, but its easy to produce soya milk, you just need to plant it and even when there is no rainfall you just water your crop and you will be able to make some milk. Soya milk has more proteins compared to cow milk," he said.
Farmers in the region have been provided with drought and disease resistant seeds to boost their output and about 30,000 farmers in the country now grow soya beans, with many moving away from the region's traditional maize crop.
Soya is a high protein legume and is also rich in minerals like iron and zinc. The bean contains 40 percent protein and 20 percent oil.
Apart from growing the beans for sale, farmers are encouraged to try value added practices so they can make more money.
By grinding the beans into soya flour and making snacks farmers have more to offer.
One of the most popular products among growers in the area is soya milk, made from crushing soaked beans and mixing the paste with water. When the solution mixes well, it then sieved and boiled to make soya milk, a tasty alternative to dairy milk and slightly cheaper, says Claire Senge'enge, Kennedy's wife.
"With half a kilo of soya I got 4 litres of soya milk and I have made tea for all of us, so I am proud to be a soya farmer," said Claire.
The Mabanga Agricultural Technology Development Center run by Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture is trying to get more people to grow soya and has opened a processing plant that produces about 360 litres of soya milk daily for sale.
The milk sells for about 1 dollar per litre.
Evelyne Wafula, a food technologist at the center says many farmers are yet to exploit the business opportunities soya has to offer.
"You find that the biggest challenge is the processing equipment, farmers don't have, they are not accessible and even, they don't have more knowledge on soya, they don't know that soya can be grown and we can do a lot of value addition on soya," she said.
Tom Agwa, is the Manager at Mabanga Agricultural Technology Development Center and says that apart from being a lucrative crop, soya beans also have many health benefits.
"We have realised in Kenya, that of late we have high risk, high cases of cancer, soya can reduce the cancer, that is breast cancer, colon cancer, the prostate cancer. It can also reduce the effect of menopause. Soya can also neutralize insulin; stabilize the insulin for the diabetic cases. So for us at the ministry of agriculture we regard soya as one of our highest crops that's must be promoted to the farmers," said Agwa.
The health prospects have businessmen excited too. On the menu at this fast food restaurant, various soya bean products including soya tea and yoghurt are some of the fastest moving items.
"I like this yoghurt because the one made from dairy milk upsets my stomach, but this one does not give me stomach problems," said Andrew Kashara who lives in Bungoma.
Soya beans can also be used as livestock feed and for bio-fuel. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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