By Henry Jami Mang’eni

Seed developers have made soya bean seeds a major focus in recent years, working to improve yields and resistance in this key crop. FarmBizAfrica reviewed the seeds available in Kenya and found the sC Salama seed from SeedCo delivered by far the highest yields and income, adding up to half a million shillings per acre in earnings,

Soya bean is an essential pulse crop, rich in protein and widely used for food, animal feed, and oil extraction. Its nitrogen-fixing ability also helps restore degraded soils. With the right conditions—altitudes up to 2,000 metres above sea level, temperatures between 20°C and 32°C, rainfall of 400–500 mm per year, and sandy soils with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5—it thrives in parts of Western Kenya (including Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga, Homa Bay, and Migori) and even in the drier counties of Kitui and Makueni.

FarmBizAfrica has reviewed all the leading certified soya bean seed varieties available in Kenya to map their cost, yields and the difference each one can make to a farmer’s income.

1. Nyala

• Produced by KALRO and SeedCo..
  
• Maturity: 90–100 days.
  
• Yield: 1 tonne per acre.
  
• Gross Income: KSh 180,000 per acre.
  
• Cost of Production: KSh 90,000 per acre.
  
• Grain Quality: Large grain size, moderate disease resistance.
  
• Use: Primarily for food.
  
• Seed Rate: 24–28 kg per acre.
  
• Spacing: 30×15 cm or 40×10 cm.
  
• Seed Price: KSh 430–480 per 2 kg pack.
  
• Availability: SeedCo, Kalro Mkulima Shops, agroduka.com, jumia.co.ke, jiji.co.ke, Simlaw (simlaw.co.ke), Kenya Seed app, Kilimo UrbanFresh, agrovets.
  

2. Hill Variety

• Origin: Developed by KALRO Njoro.
  
• Maturity: 90–100 days.
  
• Yield: 600 kg to 1 tonne per acre.
  
• Gross Income: KSh 108,000–180,000 per acre.
  
• Cost of Production: KSh 58,000 per acre.
  
• Disease Resistance: High.
  
• Use: Food.
  
• Seed Rate: 24–28 kg per acre.
  
• Seed Price: KSh 420–480 per 2 kg pack.
  
• Availability: KALRO, agroduka.com, jumia.co.ke, jiji.co.ke, Simlaw, Kenya Seed app, Kilimo UrbanFresh, agrovets.
  

3. Gazelle

• Origin: Bred by KALRO Njoro with Syngenta; licensed to Peala Agro Services.
  
• Maturity: 90–100 days.
  
• Yield: 1 tonne per acre.
  
• Gross Income: KSh 180,000 per acre.
  
• Cost of Production: KSh 58,000 per acre.
  
• Grain Quality: High yielding, large grain, moderate disease resistance.
  
• Use: Food.
  
• Seed Rate: 24–28 kg per acre.
  
• Seed Price: KSh 430–480 per 2 kg pack.
  
• Availability: Peala.co.ke, Kalro Mkulima Shops, Simlaw, Kenya Seed app, online marketplaces, agrovets.
  

4. TG X1740-2F

• Origin: Developed by IITA with support from Nigeria and Malawi; released in Kenya by KALRO.
  
• Maturity: 90–100 days.
  
• Yield: Up to 1.5 tonnes per acre.
  
• Gross Income: KSh 270,000 per acre.
  
• Cost of Production: KSh 30,000 per acre.
  
• Use: Dual purpose—grain and forage.
  
• Seed Rate: 24–28 kg per acre.
  
• Seed Price: KSh 430–480 per 2 kg pack.
  
• Availability: KALRO, Simlaw, agroduka.com, jumia.co.ke, jiji.co.ke, Kenya Seed app, Kilimo UrbanFresh, agrovets.
  

5. SC Salama

• Origin: Released by SeedCo in 2010.
  
• Maturity: 3 months.
  
• Yield: 3–4 tonnes per acre.
  
• Gross Income: Up to KSh 720,000 per acre.
  
• Cost of Production: KSh 56,000 per acre.
  
• Grain Quality: Tall-growing, moderately disease resistant.
  
• Seed Rate: 24–28 kg per acre.
  
• Seed Price: KSh 420 per 2 kg pack.
  
• Availability: SeedCo (0702934938, seeds@seedcogroup.com), agrovets, Kalro Mkulima Shops, online marketplaces.
  

6. SB 19

• Origin: Recently introduced by KALRO.
  
• Maturity: 3 months.
  
• Yield: 800–1,000 kg per acre.
  
• Gross Income: Up to KSh 180,000 per acre.
  
• Cost of Production: KSh 55,000 per acre.
  
• Use: High-protein food crop.
  
• Seed Rate: 24–28 kg per acre.
  
• Seed Price: KSh 14,999 (25 kg) or KSh 4,000 (5 kg).
  
• Availability: Kalro Mkulima Shops, online stores, Kenya Seed app, Kilimo UrbanFresh, agrovets.
  

Agronomic Best Practices for Soya Beans

• Planting Time: At onset of rains.
  
• Fertilizer: One bag per acre, especially for poor soils.
  
• Weeding: Twice during the growing period.
  
• Maturity: Typically 70–180 days depending on variety.
  
• Harvesting: When leaves begin to yellow.
  
• Common Pests: Aphids, caterpillars, bollworms, nematodes, bean fly.
  
• Diseases: Mosaic virus, bacterial blight, white mould, downy mildew, brown spot.
  
• Control Measures: Use certified seed, field hygiene, and fungicides available at agrovets.
  

Accessing Certified Seeds

There are now 18 KALRO Mkulima Shops spread across the country where farmers can buy certified soya bean seeds and get agricultural advice. These shops are complemented by reliable online platforms such as:

• Kalro.org
  
• agroduka.com
  
• jumia.co.ke
  
• jiji.co.ke
  
• simlaw.co.ke
  
• Kenya Seed mobile app
  
• urbanfresh.co.ke
  

Phone orders: 0721 644 863

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