Processing of Mango Juice for sale in urban markets | Postharvest handling, Value Addition and Marketing (Value Addition)

Traditionally common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are of great importance for household food and nutrition security, both for the rural and urban populations. Beans are high in antioxidants, fibre, cholesterol-free dietary protein, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc. Eating beans regularly also has a number of health benefits like decreasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and helps with weight manag Read more..

Description of the technology or innovation

Traditionally common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are of great importance for household food and nutrition security, both for the rural and urban populations.  Beans are high in antioxidants, fibre, cholesterol-free dietary protein, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc.  Eating beans regularly also has a number of health benefits like decreasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and helps with weight management. They are also becoming a potential source of occupation and income for the resource poor farmers especially youth and women.  In Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) bean production occupies about 2 million hectares, which represents about 50% of the area grown to beans in Africa http://www.asareca.org/researchdir/files/nppfullbeans.pdf.

 

During the time when ASARECA operated through commodity networks, it funded a number of bean research projects in collaboration with Eastern and Central African Bean Research Network (ECABREN), but, the generated products had not yet been up scaled to the target farming communities.  To build on the achievements of ECABREN and to synergize the efforts of other organizations promoting bean production and utilization such as Centre for International Agriculture (CIAT),Pan Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and HarvestPlus (H+), ASARECA funded another three bean projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),   These are: “Intensification of Climbing BeansSystemsin the Great Lakes Region” from2009 to 2011, andEnhancing Competitiveness of Snap Beans for Domestic and Export Markets” during 2006, and from 2009-2011andUtilization of Bean Innovations for Food Security and Improved Livelihoods in Eastern and Central Africafrom2011 to 2013”. 

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