Novel polymer-based technologies to reduce waste and enhance incomes for smallholder and commercial Fine bean growers in Kenya

In Kenya, the agriculture sector contributes 29.3% to GDP and accounts for 80 % of national employment. Kenyan exports of fine beans to the EU and UK account for 70% of all vegetables and 21% of horticultural exports. About 60% of fine bean exports are produced by >50,000 Kenyan smallholder farmers acting as outgrowers for commercial farms. It is a crop with great potential to address food insecurity, income generation and poverty alleviation in the region. Total production is approximately 62,400 t p.a., however with 60% pack-out (40% rejects) total exports are circa 37,400 t p.a. ‘Soiling’ of beans via rainsplash accounts for >25% of these rejects. This is due to direct yield losses associated with splash transfer of plant pathogens and bean quality defects due to fungal and bacterial pathogens. Latent infection can also result in further post-harvest storage losses. This project will implement spray innovations based on anionic polyacrylamides (PAM) to minimise soiling. This will reduce yield losses & wastage and increase farm income. Field validation will be undertaken on Vegpro Kenya’s commercial farms and with selected outgrowers. Effective dissemination through Vegpro’s existing knowledge exchange pathways will facilitate rapid adoption by 5,000 smallholders that supply into Vegpro