Villagers in Makueni bet on Green gram seed Production

Ordinarily, March marks the peak of a harvesting in Makueni County. But 2023 began on a tough note as the semi-arid region suffered massive crop failure following a prolonged drought. Curiously, Margaret Kimote, a peasant in Kathungu village where the sun burns fiercely, is not worried.

She is among 50 farmers enlisted in an ambitious climate change adaptation scheme that involves producing and distributing high yielding green gram (mung bean) seeds. “Maize farmers here have nothing more than feathery stovers to show. The drought has seen green gram growers command respect,” she said while supervising threshing.

Kimote has harvested thirteen 100-kilo bags of mung beans from a her fiveacre piece.

A cereal dealer in Siembeni town on the Kibwezi-Kitui road, Kimote is a member of Ngamiteka CBO, which is on the frontline of the war on global warming. Mbithe Kisele, the chairperson of Ngamiteka CBO, says lack of certified green gram seeds pushed locals towards exploring production.

The group is made up of smallholder farmers spread across Makueni County.

“Although the mung bean crop is important in building resilience to drought, we established that many peasants ended up recording low yields as they could not afford certified seeds,” she says.

“Many who could afford the seeds found it difficult to access them. That is how farmers ended up with very low harvests. They actually grew food instead of seeds.”

But the production of mung bean seeds, as Ngamiteka CBO members later learnt, would not be a walk in the park. To join the green gram programme, a farmer needs to dedicate at least five acres to the crop.

Agronomists and other agricultural experts say it does not make sense to produce green gram seeds in a plot that is less than five acres.

Ngamiteka CBO members begin by preparing their farms before using tractors or oxen-drawn ploughs. This is meant to enhance soil moisture conservation. The ripping is followed by the application of manure and establishing of seeds.

A production record seen by the Seeds of Gold shows that Kimote planted her crop on October 31 last year.

She started harvesting the mung beans on December 31.

A team of extension officers under Prof Paul Kimurto and Bernard Towett of Egerton University’s Seed Unit works closely with Ngamiteka CBO.

The university provided the farmers with a tonne of the basic seed known as KS20. It was a key component in the programme, which is supported by the Makueni devolved government, the national government and the and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.

Agronomists advise farmers to space green grams 15-20 centimetres between seeds and 60 centimetres from row to row. Extension officers inspect the crop regularly to enforce timely thinning, weeding, application of pesticides and other practices.

In addition to monitoring the growth and flowering characteristics of the mung bean crop, the army of extension officers visits Ngamiteka CBO farmers at least three times a month to ensure they do not grow any other variety of green grams at least 25 metres around the main plot. That ensures no contamination.

Dr Towett says the hybrid seeds produced by Ngamiteka farmers can go up to three generations without a risk of contamination as they are self-pollinated.

The bulk of the work in seed production starts after harvesting.

The farmers manually sort the good seeds from the deformed ones so as to retain quality.

Agronomists recommend the use of machines to thresh the pods instead of sticks, as these damage the seeds. “We have been advised to store the seeds in jute bags, not nylon as that will compromise viability,” Kimote says, adding that a kilo goes for at least Sh200. Neighbours make the bulk of Kimote’s customers. Makueni Agriculture executive, Joyce Mutua, says the county government is betting on the community seed production and distribution to address food insecurity. She adds that Makueni County has been battling a huge seed gap, which has hampered production of mung beans. “Whereas farmers in Makueni County require 900 tonnes of green grams every planting season, they can only access 350 tonnes of certified seeds. This makes them go for seeds that are not certified, thus compromising on their production and quality,” the executive said. After Dr Towett gave the green gram farmers thumbs-up, members of Ngamiteka CBO have begun the process of acquiring a licence to sell their seeds to farmers in and outside the county.