Poor Bean Harvests Affect Prices in Bungoma

The price of beans in Bungoma County has jumped to 4000 shillings per 90 kilogram bag from 2000 shillings within a period of one month.

Last month was the harvesting season for the crop in the county and most farmers were selling it at a retail price of 50 shillings per 2 Kg tin. This translated roughly to 2000 shillings per 90-kilogram bag.

Under normal circumstances, during the harvesting of beans at such a time, prices are usually as low as 1200 per 90-kilogram bag but this year has been different.

The change in prices has been as a result of the little harvest gotten by farmers this season. The produce was largely affected by the prolonged rain that disappeared when just the crop was flowering. Sunshine and wind then took over largely affecting the production.

In the same County, a 90-kilogram bag of maize is retailing between 3600 and 4200 shillings even as the green maize in the farms begin to get ready for consumption.

Farmers in the county, however, have little hopes of a adequate harvest as the dry season largely affected many farms. Most farmers in Bungoma County are small scale farmers who only grow crops for food but often sell them to retailers commonly known as “Kenya rundas“.

Read: Increase in Food Prices Forces July Inflation to Rise to 6.39 Percent

In the neighboring county of Trans Nzoia, where most farmers engage in large-scale farming, the harvesting of beans is ongoing.

Trans Nzoia and the greater Rift Valley regions are considered as the baskets of Kenya for almost 80 percent of Kenya’s maize and beans comes from the two regions.

The produces in Trans Nzoia County were not affected by the unpredictable weather last season and farmers are looking forward to an increase in harvest as compared to last year.

The irony lies in the neighboring West Pokot where residents are facing starvation due to the prolonged drought. Residents have no clean water and have to walk for several kilometers for the same. The government has, however, assured them that no one is going to die of hunger.