Growing Cowpeas Kunde In Kenya The Good Bad and Ugly

Cowpea Farming in Kenya:

Could cowpea farming be the best vegetable for farmers in the dry areas of Kenya?”

I found myself asking myself that question one day.

When I moved to Homabay, to try my hand in vegetable production, I found myself in a tough predicament.

I tried growing both Kunde and Sukuma wiki, and was  blown away by the results.

The kunde performed very well. 

From it, I was able to harvest veges worth KSH 120,000 from the 1 acre I had grown.

But when it came to the Kale, things were not very rosy.

The sukuma wiki struggled so much with the hot weather.

For me to get something from it, I had to apply several rounds of irrigation.

If I had slacked a little, I am sure that I would have incurred a total loss on the Kale.

My experience growing both Kale and Kunde is what is making me write this post.

I want to share with you all the details so that you succeed when you grow cowpeas.

Ready?

Let’s get started.

When it comes to growing vegetables, farmers in the drier areas of Ukambani, Nyanza, Rift valley, and Coast have limited options.

They cannot grow the popular sukuma wiki, as the hot dry weather makes it impossible for them to do it.

Neither can they grow cabbage, carrots, broccoli or cauliflower.

They are only left with kunde if they were to grow vegetables at all.

Why Cow Pea Farming In Kenya:

Cowpea farming, also known as black-eyed pea farming, is a popular and important agricultural practice in Kenya.

Cowpeas are a nutritious legume that are widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions around the world.

In Kenya, cowpeas are a staple food for many households and are also an important source of income for smallholder farmers.

“Cowpeas account for roughly 16% of Kenya’s pulse production and 90% of the production is grown in Eastern Kenya, mainly in Kitui, Machakos, Makueni, Embu, and Tharaka-Nithi counties. Minor volumes are produced in Coast Province (3.7%), Rift Valley (1.6%), North Eastern (0.8%), Central (0.6%) and Western (0.3%) provinces”

To read the Full story about kunde farming in Kenya, follow this link

If you'd like to buy the right cowpea seed for planting, <<<you can do it here