By Bisola Adeyemo
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) upscales the TEFF grain value chain which is a dual-purpose crop used for food consumption for both humans and animals.
Teff is a staple food crop of Ethiopia and Eritrea, having originated and diversified there. It has been introduced to South Africa where it is cultivated as a cover and forage crop while it is cultivated as a cereal crop in Northern Kenya.
According to Dr. Felister Makini, the Deputy Director-General, Crops at KALRO, TEFF, a superfood that is highly rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. It is a crop of all reasons, a reliable low-risk crop especially at times when other crops such as maize and sorghum fail due to adverse weather.
She also said that TEFF has relative tolerance to pests and diseases, adapts well to various cropping systems and rotation schemes, has a long shelf life even under traditional storage systems, and has minimal post-harvest losses since the grains suffer less from storage pests such as weevils.
“This crop also matures in 45-60 days, thus playing a critical role in building resilience among the farming communities especially in the ASAL region,” she explained.
Speaking also, Rachel Kisilu, the Lead Research Scientist and Plant Breeder at KALRO said although Teff is a new crop which is grown mainly in the ASALs, (the driest parts of Kenya), its potential saw them come up with research to evaluate, develop, and also improve raw use and come up with good and better varieties which can reach high potential yields for farmer’s consumption.
“Teff is a potential crop, very drought tolerant, maturing and highly nutritive and also apart from being used as human food, it is also used by animals,” she said.
“Teff crop has no seed systems, there is no improved seed for it in the country. This is the first time we are going to release varieties for the farming communities in Kenya and through that we are going to have a good seed system whereby farmers can access quality seeds of the improved varieties so that they can increase their yields,” she said.
“We have been able to come up with more than 20 value-added food products from Teff, starting with porridge cakes, ugali which the communities even never thought they could get from Teff, thus we will soon publish a food value addition manual for Teff, whereby farmers and other stakeholders can come up with diversified food products from it,” Kisilu said.