Commercializing a new crop variety takes more than developing a superior seed. It requires strong partnerships, reliable production systems, and investments that ensure quality seed is available when farmers need it. For HarvestPlus Solutions (HPS), strengthening these systems is central to making biofortified crops accessible at scale.
That vision took another important step forward with the commissioning of a new borehole at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) Food Crops Research Institute (FCRI) in Kitale. Supported by the Government of Canada through the REACTS-IN Program, the investment will enable KALRO to produce early-generation seed year-round, strengthening the seed system, attracting private-sector investment, and ensuring farmers have consistent access to quality seed.
For HPS, this investment reflects a broader approach to commercializing iron beans, from seed to food on the table—while creating income opportunities for value chain actors. The borehole was officially handed over by Dr. Kioko Munyao, Innovation Director at World Vision, representing REACTS-IN Chief of Party Asrat Dibaba Tolossa, and received by Dr. Benjamin Kivuva on behalf of the KALRO Director General.
Speaking during the ceremony, Dr. Benjamin Kivuva, representing the KALRO Director General, underscored the value of collaborative investments in agricultural innovation. “This investment demonstrates the power of collaboration. Reliable water will enable continuous research and increase production of breeder, pre-basic, basic, and certified seed.”
Nyota, Kenya’s leading iron-biofortified bean variety, offers farmers a climate-smart crop that combines improved nutrition with strong agronomic performance. As demand for the variety has grown, expanding the production of certified seed has become increasingly important to support the production and consumption of nutritious beans at scale in Kenya.
Beans are a staple food for millions of Kenyans and an affordable source of protein for major institutions such as schools, hospitals, businesses, and prisons. With its higher iron content, high yields, fast cooking time, soil fertility benefits, and drought tolerance, Nyota is living up to its Kiswahili name—“a star.”
