The Cereal Growers Association (CGA) has partnered with Egerton University to develop and promote improved groundnut varieties.
Speaking during a farmers’ field day in Amagoro, Teso North, CGA Agribusiness Coordinator for Busia County Eliya Barasa said two improved groundnut varieties, Ndovu and Mwangaza, are undergoing seed multiplication.
In addition, the two varieties, together with Kanga and Dove, alongside local types, have been put under field trials across Teso North, Teso South, and Nambale sub-counties.
“These are improved varieties, meaning they offer higher yields. At the moment, we have 25 acres under seed multiplication across the three sub-counties,” he said.
Barasa explained that the demonstration farms and seed field trials will help determine which varieties perform best in specific areas, enabling farmers to maximize yields and returns.
He said groundnuts are emerging as a high-value crop, with farmers earning significant income citing an example from Elgeyo Marakwet County, where some farmers harvested between 60 and 80 bags of the unshelled Ndovu variety per acre.
Groundnut farming, according to Barasa, has become less labor-intensive following support from the World Food Programme (WFP), which has provided shelling machines through its innovation centres.
“If you have large quantities of groundnuts, there is a shelling machine available at Jairos in Teso North. Farmers no longer need to rely on manual labour to shell the produce,” he said.
He urged farmers to apply Aflasafe, a biological control product that reduces aflatoxin contamination and improves the safety and quality of groundnuts.
Barasa also encouraged farmers in Teso North to diversify into other drought-tolerant crops such as sorghum, millet, and cassava for commercial production.
He said CGA, through the Farm to Market Alliance (FMA) programme, is linking farmers to reliable markets for their produce, including sorghum and groundnuts.
“We are partnering with Greenwells, Thrive Agric, and the East African Breweries Limited (EABL), who provide a ready market for sorghum in bulk,” he said.
For groundnuts, Barasa noted that CGA has partnered with Mamlo Foods, a local processor operating a micro factory in Amagoro, to purchase groundnuts in bulk for peanut butter production.
He added that the FMA programme uses Farmers Service Centres (FSC) model, where trained farmers mobilize others to aggregate produce and meet market demand.
An agricultural officer in Teso North, Getrude Wambia, discouraged farmers against selling their produce individually, asking them to always consolidate their produce in order to have strong bargaining power.
She urged the farmers to join Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Common Interest Groups (CIGs), and cooperative societies within the ward to get more support and maximize their farming practices.
She also asked them to work closely with agripreneurs who are tasked with providing training, linking them to various service providers, and connecting them to buyers of their produce through FPOs.
“When you harvest, don’t hide or rush to sell your produce alone. Reach out to agripreneurs who will group you together and find a buyer, which will increase your bargaining power and assure you of better prices,” she added.
By Moses Wekesa
