Common beans value chain in Kenya: production, value and opportunities

Page 03 · Value chains

BeCommon beans

Common beans value chain dashboard.

Production

480kt

/yr

Sector value

KES 38B

0.7%

Producers

~2.2M HH (often intercropped)

estimated reach

Current status

Common beans are the main protein source for most Kenyan households. Mostly grown intercropped with maize. Rosecoco and Nyayo varieties dominant. Persistent supply deficit.

Future trends

Climate-resilient improved varieties (KK series) gradually replacing landraces. Bean processing for canned + ready-to-cook segments small but growing.

Needs & gaps

Bean weevil losses in storage 14-22%. Limited mechanization. Aflatoxin risk parallel to maize when intercropped.

Major actors

5 firms / bodies tracked

KALRO KatumaniR&DKenya Seed CompanyINPUTPABRAR&DKabarak FoodsPROCTrufoodsPROC

Investment opportunities

3 actionable paths

Bio-fortified iron + zinc varieties — PABRA released NABE-15, KK-22.

PICS hermetic storage prevents bean weevil — 22-pt reduction.

Canned + ready-to-cook bean products for urban market.

Common beans through every value-chain lens

14 stages covered

Markets

Rosecoco wholesale KES 10,800/90kg; Mandera KES 15,600.

Growing conditions

Intercropped with maize standard; bean climate sensitivity moderate.

Inputs & logistics

Inoculant (rhizobium) underused — yield uplift 20%+.

Production

Yields 0.8 t/ha vs trial plot 2.4.

Harvest & post-harvest

Hand-threshing standard; mechanization minimal.

Aggregation

Co-op coverage <12%. Trade dominated by individual buyers.

Trade

Cross-border with Uganda/Tanzania important.

Processing

Canned beans niche; dry-pack bean brands growing.

Retail

Loose beans at market dominant; packaged at supermarket.

Consumer

Per-capita 14kg/year; central protein for most households.

R&D

KALRO Katumani + PABRA breeding programmes flagship.

Mechanization

Mostly manual; threshers for larger farms emerging.

Infrastructure

Same as maize — storage and rural roads the gap.

Financing

Microfinance via women-led groups; AFC tied to maize.