By Felix Ochieng Akech 

When David Ojwang planted soybeans on his one acre farm in Migori County, he expected steady income. What he got instead was frustration. “I was growing dry soybean for grain and selling to brokers at about Sh55 per kilo,” he said. “From one acre I harvested about 900 kilos, so my gross income was around Sh49,500 per season. After transport and labour, profit was very small. Sometimes you almost work for free.”

Everything changed in 2023 when an unexpected buyer approached him. “A hotel supplier in Kisumu asked if I could supply fresh edamame for restaurants,” said David. “They were importing frozen edamame at high prices and wanted a local supplier.” He decided to test the idea on a quarter acre. The results surprised him. “I harvested about 1.6 tonnes of fresh pods and sold at Sh120 per kilo. That small plot earned me about Sh192,000 in less than three months. That convinced me to switch.”

Switching meant learning a new crop system. Unlike dry soybean, edamame is harvested green and sold as a fresh vegetable, so quality, colour, sweetness, and uniformity matter. David invested in the right seed. “I am growing AGS 292 edamame variety, which I sourced from an agrovet in Nairobi that supplies vegetable seed importers,” he said. 

“I tried two varieties initially, but AGS 292 had uniform pod size, bright green colour, and sweeter taste, which buyers preferred. The pods mature evenly, making harvesting faster and reducing labour. Earlier, mixed varieties gave uneven maturity, causing losses and poor quality grading.”

His first crop, however, exposed serious production gaps. “My first crop had poor germination and yellow leaves,” he said. “Soil tests later showed low nitrogen fixation because I had not inoculated the seed with rhizobium. Edamame needs strong nodulation to produce protein-rich beans.” 

He also realised his spacing was wrong. “I planted too densely at about 15 centimetres spacing. Airflow was poor and fungal disease started appearing. My yield was only about 1.2 tonnes per acre.”

Rather than abandoning the crop, David adjusted his entire production system. “I made four major changes,” he said. “First was seed inoculation. I now treat seed with soybean rhizobium inoculant before planting. This improved nodulation and reduced nitrogen fertilizer costs by about 40 percent.” 

He widened his spacing to improve plant health. “I changed spacing to 45 centimetres between rows and 10 centimetres within rows. Plants now receive more sunlight and airflow, which reduced leaf disease.”

Water management became more deliberate. “Instead of random watering, I irrigate every three to four days during flowering and pod filling. That improved pod size and uniformity,” he said. Pest control also shifted from reactive spraying to monitoring. “I monitor aphids and pod borers twice a week and spray only when threshold levels are reached. This reduced chemical costs and residue risk.”

The impact of these changes was immediate. “After adopting inoculation and proper spacing, my yield increased from 1.2 tonnes per acre to about 2.4 tonnes per acre of fresh pods,” said David. “Pod size improved from an average of six grams to about nine grams per pod cluster. Beans became sweeter and greener. Earlier, buyers rejected about 18 per cent due to small pods and yellowing. Now rejection is below three per cent.”

Higher yields combined with premium pricing transformed his income. “I sell fresh edamame at Sh110 to Sh140 per kilo depending on season,” he said. “At 2.4 tonnes per acre, my gross income ranges between Sh264,000 and Sh336,000 per crop cycle. My total production cost including seed, inoculant, irrigation, labour, and pest control is about Sh95,000 per acre. That leaves me with a net profit of about Sh170,000 to Sh240,000 per crop, compared to less than Sh25,000 when I was doing dry soybean.”

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Post-harvest handling became just as important as field management. “I learned that edamame must be harvested when pods are fully green and beans fill about 85 to 90 per cent of the pod,” he said. “If you delay by even five days, sugars convert to starch and buyers complain about taste.” 

He also now harvests early in the morning to preserve freshness. “I cool the pods under shade immediately, wash with clean water, drain, and pack in perforated crates. I transport within six hours. Shelf life increased from one day to three days.”

Today, David supplies hotels, fresh vegetable traders, and specialty retailers who value consistent quality. What started as a small trial has become a reliable business model. “Edamame is not a grain crop it is a fresh vegetable,” he said. “Quality, freshness, and consistency determine your price.”

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