By Felix Ochieng Akech
When David Ojwang planted soybeans on his one acre farm in Migori County, he anticipated regular earnings. What he received as a substitute was frustration. “I used to be rising dry soybean for grain and promoting to brokers at about Sh55 per kilo,” he stated. “From one acre I harvested about 900 kilos, so my gross earnings was round Sh49,500 per season. After transport and labour, revenue was very small. Generally you nearly work free of charge.”
Every little thing modified in 2023 when an surprising purchaser approached him. “A resort provider in Kisumu requested if I might provide contemporary edamame for eating places,” stated David. “They had been importing frozen edamame at excessive costs and wished a neighborhood provider.” He determined to check the concept on 1 / 4 acre. The outcomes shocked him. “I harvested about 1.6 tonnes of contemporary pods and bought at Sh120 per kilo. That small plot earned me about Sh192,000 in lower than three months. That satisfied me to change.”
Switching meant studying a brand new crop system. Not like dry soybean, edamame is harvested inexperienced and bought as a contemporary vegetable, so high quality, color, sweetness, and uniformity matter. David invested in the correct seed. “I’m rising AGS 292 edamame selection, which I sourced from an agrovet in Nairobi that provides vegetable seed importers,” he stated.
“I attempted two varieties initially, however AGS 292 had uniform pod dimension, vivid inexperienced color, and sweeter style, which patrons most well-liked. The pods mature evenly, making harvesting sooner and lowering labour. Earlier, blended varieties gave uneven maturity, inflicting losses and poor high quality grading.”
His first crop, nonetheless, uncovered severe manufacturing gaps. “My first crop had poor germination and yellow leaves,” he stated. “Soil checks later confirmed low nitrogen fixation as a result of I had not inoculated the seed with rhizobium. Edamame wants sturdy nodulation to supply protein-rich beans.”
He additionally realised his spacing was incorrect. “I planted too densely at about 15 centimetres spacing. Airflow was poor and fungal illness began showing. My yield was solely about 1.2 tonnes per acre.”
Fairly than abandoning the crop, David adjusted his whole manufacturing system. “I made 4 main adjustments,” he stated. “First was seed inoculation. I now deal with seed with soybean rhizobium inoculant earlier than planting. This improved nodulation and decreased nitrogen fertilizer prices by about 40 p.c.”
He widened his spacing to enhance plant well being. “I modified spacing to 45 centimetres between rows and 10 centimetres inside rows. Vegetation now obtain extra daylight and airflow, which decreased leaf illness.”
Water administration grew to become extra deliberate. “As an alternative of random watering, I irrigate each three to 4 days throughout flowering and pod filling. That improved pod dimension and uniformity,” he stated. Pest management additionally shifted from reactive spraying to monitoring. “I monitor aphids and pod borers twice every week and spray solely when threshold ranges are reached. This decreased chemical prices and residue danger.”
The affect of those adjustments was fast. “After adopting inoculation and correct spacing, my yield elevated from 1.2 tonnes per acre to about 2.4 tonnes per acre of contemporary pods,” stated David. “Pod dimension improved from a median of six grams to about 9 grams per pod cluster. Beans grew to become sweeter and greener. Earlier, patrons rejected about 18 per cent attributable to small pods and yellowing. Now rejection is under three per cent.”
Larger yields mixed with premium pricing reworked his earnings. “I promote contemporary edamame at Sh110 to Sh140 per kilo relying on season,” he stated. “At 2.4 tonnes per acre, my gross earnings ranges between Sh264,000 and Sh336,000 per crop cycle. My whole manufacturing price together with seed, inoculant, irrigation, labour, and pest management is about Sh95,000 per acre. That leaves me with a web revenue of about Sh170,000 to Sh240,000 per crop, in comparison with lower than Sh25,000 once I was doing dry soybean.”
Submit-harvest dealing with grew to become simply as necessary as area administration. “I discovered that edamame should be harvested when pods are totally inexperienced and beans fill about 85 to 90 per cent of the pod,” he stated. “When you delay by even 5 days, sugars convert to starch and patrons complain about style.”
He additionally now harvests early within the morning to protect freshness. “I cool the pods below shade instantly, wash with clear water, drain, and pack in perforated crates. I transport inside six hours. Shelf life elevated from someday to 3 days.”
At the moment, David provides inns, contemporary vegetable merchants, and specialty retailers who worth constant high quality. What began as a small trial has turn into a dependable enterprise mannequin. “Edamame shouldn’t be a grain crop it’s a contemporary vegetable,” he stated. “High quality, freshness, and consistency decide your value.”
