KALRO develops beans that take 15 mins to cook – KBC

Kenya Agricultural Research and Livestock Organization (KALRO) has developed beans seeds that take only 15 minutes to cook.

According to David Karanja, a scientist at KARLO the new precooked beans will assist in energy conservation and minimizing deforestation since it takes less charcoal to prepare the beans.

The new variety is also backed to improve nutrition when consumed.

Though highly nutritious beans consumption in the country still remains low with an average Kenyan consuming between 50-60 kilograms per year.

Nutrition experts are blaming the low consumption on the tedious and long process of preparing bean meals.

In a bid to increase consumption of beans in the country, KALRO has developed pre-cooked bean seeds that only take 15 minutes to cook and can also be easily value added.

The bean was developed after test on 47 bean varieties in Kenya and Uganda to determine the most suitable ones to develop the seed from and zeroed in on 4 varieties from Kenya and 8 from Uganda.

Unlike the canned or wet beans, the precooked beans do not need refrigeration and can stay up to 3 years without rotting.

Karlo is optimistic that the new bean variety will go a long way in assisting in flour fortification as it is easily processed.

The four beans KAT B1, Nyota, Angaza and Rose coco were piloted in Homabay and Machakos and have been commercialized.

Bean farmers Angelica Wambua and Benson Wambua say the new variety is more profitable than traditional beans as the demand for the new precooked beans is high.

KARLO is urging farmers to go for the seeds that are now available for retail.