By Lyzzie Owade

Two years after adopting seeds from Kenya, Eliud Taa has made Sh229,000 in a single, six-week season growing black nightshade, after years of losses growing  maize, potatoes, beans and cabbage, 

“Potatoes were a big loss. You need a market ready as soon as you harvest, or they start sprouting in just two weeks. I’d fill a 110kg sack but get offered just Sh1,000 to Sh1,200. It wasn’t worth it,” said Eliud, who farms in Uasin Gishu County.

Cabbage failed too during the dry season. But two years ago, Eliud planted a Ugandan variety of black nightshade, managu, and has never looked back.

“It does well in any soil. I just bought the seeds from a neighbour for Sh1,000 and used manure from my compound. That’s how I started,” he said.

Now he sells managu as vegetables, seeds and seedlings and earns from all three. “Last week I made Sh79,000 just from seedlings. I had 79,000 extra seedlings in the nursery, and each goes for a shilling,” he said.

On his 1.2-acre farm, his first harvest yields 1,500kg to 1,700kg. From the second harvest onwards, which is every six weeks, he gets 2,500kg. “Each kilo sells at Sh60. That’s Sh3,000 for a 50kg sack,” he said.

Every six months, he also harvests the berries for seed. “I hire people to pluck the berries and pay them Sh200 a cup. Then I sieve and dry the seeds myself. A 2kg tin of seed sells for Sh1,000,” said Eliud. He markets his seeds online to customers in Nakuru, Kisii and Migori.

Demand has been rising for black nightshade across Kenya. Once seen as a poor person’s food, it is now becoming increasingly fashionable and it’s being sold widely commercially.

The crop is rich in vitamins A, C and K, as well as iron, calcium and protein. It is boiled, fried and served with ugali, sometimes enriched with cream or sour milk to soften its slightly bitter taste.

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