Page 88 - Agriculture_Form_3

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

a cracking sound or when they cannot be easily dented with a fingernail. Dry
beans should then be threshed and winnowed to remove dirt. Sorting is done to
separate good beans from damaged or shrivelled ones. Thereafter, beans must be
kept in clean, dry containers, for example, sacks, hermetic bags, plastic buckets or
silos. Then store in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated room. Likewise, silos should
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be well-ventilated. Synthetic insecticides and or natural plant extracts/materials
such as dried neem leaves can be used to manage pests such as bean weevils/
bruchids during storage. The stored beans should also be protected from pests
such as rodents and rats.

Marketing of common beans
Marketing is also an important aspect of the bean value chain. Beans can be sold
in local or external markets. Beans can also be processed into flour, canned, or
pre-cooked products to add value. These value-added products help to increase
income and provide more food options for consumers.

Profitable marketing depends on how well beans are presented and handled.
Proper packaging, labelling and storage attract more buyers and reduce losses.
Marketing is more successful when beans meet the quality standards that buyers
expect. Reliable transport to the market and access to price information are critical
for common bean marketing. Working with marketing groups or cooperatives can
increase access to larger buyers and possibly better prices. In such, arrangement,
costs of transport, packaging, and storage can be shared, hence reducing expenses.

Activity 5.8

After observing that the bean crop in your school farm is ready for harvesting,
perform the following activities:
1. Harvest beans from your school plot using the appropriate method; dry, thresh,
and winnow the beans. Then, sort, pack and store the beans appropriately.

2. Write a report on how harvesting, postharvest handling, and marketing were
done, as well as lessons learnt from this activity.

Student’s Book Form Three 79

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