Aerial yams turns farmer to millionaire.

In the heart of Kiriani in Mathioya constituency, Murang’a County, there is a small farm that has become the talk of the village. The farm measuring 100m by 50m belongs to Simon Ngure, and hosts aerial yams, which are also known as aerial potato. The plant is a semi-wild food that grows on vines climbing onto poles and trees. The bulb is eaten on peeling off the hard back after cooking. The plant’s heart-shaped leaves with slender twinning vines spread tenaciously on posts Ngure has erected. Some yams hang loosely on the vines, which Ngure, 49, stretches his hands and harvests. “The leaves and vines of the crop are currently dry, which means it’s harvest time.” Ngure says he went for them to carve a niche for himself. He is introducing farmers to the aerial yams, which according to him have turned his life for the better and helped him put his children through school. “I switched from coffee to the yams after seeing their potential some three years ago. A friend in Nyeri introduced them to me.” It was the start of his flourishing aerial yam business, which is gaining popularity among farmers. He planted the single yam and in six months harvested 15 yams. However, he did not sell the tubers and instead stored them for planting. “I replanted and expanded the farm and six months later made some good harvests. However, because the yam was not common in the market, I lacked a ready market making me explore other avenues.” To plant the crop, he places the seeds in a dark room to break dormancy. This allows the yam to sprout and ensures that the crop germinates after planting.“Unless it sprouts before you plant, the seeds may rot in the ground and fail to germinate.” Once he has the seeds, he tills the land, makes one-feet deep holes a meter apart, adds animal manure and mixes well with the soil. He then erects poles at the base of the plant to provide support for the vines and then plants. Since he went for the crop three years ago, his fortunes have changed. He hopes to expand his business through value addition as the yams can be milled and the flour used to cook ugali and porridge among other foods. The facts about the aerial yam :the aerial yam is also known as aerial potato, potato yam, aerial yam or air yam and is believed to be native to tropical Africa, Asia and Australia. According to experts, the tubers of edible varieties often have a bitter taste, which can be removed by boiling. They can then be prepared in the same way as other yams, potatoes, and sweet potatoes