Kenya: WFP buys 134 tonnes of beans from ex-Migori tobacco farmers
Dried Common Bean
Kenya
Published Mar 26, 2022
Tridge summary
Former tobacco farmers in Migori tobacco are continuing to reap the benefits from bean farming after the World Food Programme (WFP) provided a ready market for their enterprise. In 2021, the WFP bought 134 tonnes of beans from Migori farmers who were previously engaged in tobacco farming.
Original content
Speaking during the first launch of Free Tobacco Farming, the County Secretary Cristopher Rusana said that the county managed to produce 200 tonnes of beans from 370 acres managed by 330 former tobacco farmers. The bean farmers in return received Sh13 million from their bean sales to WFP. The county executive noted that the launch of Free Tobacco farming aims to recruit at least 600 more farmers. He said that they intend to give local farmers an alternative solution to the unhealthy tobacco farming. He noted that in 2020 during the pilot project they recruited 220 tobacco farmers who were given certified beans to plant. Rusana acknowledged that tobacco farming was a health and environmental hazard that needed eradication to preserve the health of its growers. "Migori was contributing about 70 percent of all the tobacco products in the country and yet the tobacco growers were only a third of the entire tobacco growing counties," noted Rusana. He noted that by providing a ready ...
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