Little known aerial yam finds space on farms

Simon Ngure in his farm in Murang'a where he grows the aerial yams. PHOTO | GRACE GITAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Ngure makes sales of up to Sh30,000 in a day during agricultural exhibitions. He also has a retail shop in Kiriani market where he says he makes up to Sh5,000 a week
  • The taste of aerial yam is close to that of potatoes, but it is a little harder in the inside.

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.”

CHANGED FORTUNES

He started attending agricultural trade fairs, and other farmers’ events. With time, agricultural researchers and trainers recognised the crop and started visiting him.

“Almost every week I have agriculture extension officers from this region coming for lessons.”

Ngure makes sales of up to Sh30,000 in a day during agricultural exhibitions. He also has a retail shop in Kiriani market where he says he makes up to Sh5,000 a week

“For those buying the yams for seeds, the cost depends on the number of buds on the tuber. The cheapest is Sh300 but the price can go up to Sh600 each.”

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 metre 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.

Besides his thriving retail shop in Kiriani Trading Centre, he has built a decent house and started poultry and dairy goats ventures.

VALUE ADDITION

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.

Nyeri agricultural extension officer Geoffrey Gitau, however, warns some aerial yams are poisonous. 

“The edible aerial yam is heart-shaped with an almost smooth texture.”

Joseph Njuguna, a researcher at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, says a farmer needs to be careful about the yams that grow in the wild.

“Currently, we are not aware of a poisonous species but we have many wild species,” he noted.

Meru farmer Francis Gitari says wild aerial yams have light green leaves while cultivated ones have dark green ones.

“The taste of aerial yam is close to that of potatoes, but it is a little harder in the inside,” he said adding that the aerial yam business has ready market in Meru.

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Preparation

  • 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.