High Iron Beans for Food and Nutrition & Income Generation - Under AEP

Category OTHER Wednesday, June 1, 2022

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Description

Caritas Homa Bay – Harvest Plus Partnerships  

Harvest plus under the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has entered into a one year (2022 – 2023) partnership with Caritas Homa Bay (AEP) to catalyse bean value chain “High Iron Bean varieties” in Homa Bay County. 

Project Objectives and Work 

The overall objective of Caritas Homa Bay (AEP) in relation to the project is to mobilize farmers to scale up production, utilization and commercialization of High Iron Bean varieties (Nyota) innovations for food and nutrition security, income generation and environmental conservation in a gender equitable manner. 

The specific objectives of the project activities include:  

  1. To build the capacity of producer organizations for increased productivity and collective marketing of high iron bean grain varieties for marketing. 
  2. To link production groups to service providers for seeds and  inputs, financial, aggregation and other necessary services to support marketing of bean varieties 
  3. To establish and strengthen bean business platforms to catalyze increased production and marketing of HIB grain. 
  4. To assist Harvest plus scientists during project activities including surveys, trainings and participate in monitoring and evaluation.  
  5. To write and submit technical reports, event reports emanating from field days, workshops etc, and farmer and stakeholder stories and provide M&E data. 

What the project aim: 

  • Effective  farmers welfare  based production approach 
  • Homabay acreage of nyota beans by 2022 = 250 acres producing  50tons 
  •  Productivity is between 0.3 to 0.4 tons per acre 
  •  Money terms = 50t by KES 80 per kg = Ksh 4,000,000 
  • This KES 32,000 per acre for every 4 months 

Seed revolving fund Model/approach 

The seed revolving fund model is to enhance farmers’ abilities to easily and cheaply access certified bean seeds. This will enable farmers to increase certified seed holding capacities and not to over recycle own farm produced seeds.  Through the project, Harvest plus and Caritas Homabay will provide unto the farmers certified seed every planting season at subsidized cost and the size of the fund will depended on the seed demand by farmers and the surplus grains needed for market. The fund will be exclusively used to sustainably purchase certified seed from KALRO seed unit. 5 tons/5000kg of certified Nyota been seed from KALRO seed unit have been released to Caritas Homabay for short rains 2022.  

Details

The overall objective of Caritas Homa Bay (AEP) in relation to the project is to mobilize farmers to scale up production, utilization and commercialization of High Iron Bean varieties (Nyota) innovations for food and nutrition security, income generation and environmental conservation in a gender equitable manner. 

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