CIAT releases new varieties of steamed beans.

CIAT releases new varieties of steamed beans. Consumers and bean traders will soon be spending about 100 minutes less in cooking the delicacy with the 12 newly released varieties from the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, CIAT. The precooked beans are subjected to steam before packaging for sale. The beans are ready for consumption in about 15 minutes. After harvesting, the beans are subjected to boiling water that is releasing steam. The boiling water does not get into contact with the beans otherwise they will cook. The steam precooks the beans before packaging for the market. The traditional beans take about two hours to cook. This duration becomes prohibitive for low class families who cannot afford the fuel to sustain the continued cooking. CIAT says within the 15 minutes, consumers will require fuel of about Sh47 for one kilo of the beans.Various companies across Africa have been engaged to produce the seeds for the farmers. CIAT says about 10,000 farmers are already growing the varieties across the continent. After harvesting, the farmers are expected to deliver the beans to factories for processing and packaging. Snack beans are also been developed alongside the precooked varieties. The beans only require salting and they are ready for consumption. The programme of supporting the farmers is being rolled out in sub-Saharan Africa countries.source