Bean yield per acre:
Have you ever thought of growing beans?
…so that you can get EXTRA INCOME to supplement your day job?
Have you ever tried growing other crops like maize, potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon, sugarcane, wheat etc.?
…only to be disappointed by the weather, thieves or the farmhand whom you trusted?
If you have answered YES, to any of the questions, you are in good company.
In this post, I explain All the EXCITING details about:
- Bean yield per acre,
- Cost of bean production per acre,
- The mistakes you must avoid to get the HUGE bean yields your land is capable of giving,
- And much more!
Ready?
Continue reading to kick start your bean growing journey.

From The Desk of Haron Mogeni,
Professional Horticulturist,
Misambi Ekerenyo road,
Nyamira,
Kenya.
Dear Fellow farmer,
In my lifetime, I’ve tried growing many crops.
Maize, tomatoes, watermelon, millet, capsicum… the list goes on…
…only to be bitterly disappointed.
I have lost ALL (or a huge portion of it) of my harvests to…
- thieves,
- pests,
- vagaries of weather,
- and even to the farmhand whom I trusted.
And for a long time, I Stopped Farming Completely.
But the break did not kill my farming dream.
It was, and has ALWAYS been very alive.
Farming is a profession of hope.
Brian Brett
For I always knew, one day…
“I will grow something that will turnaround my fortunes.”
Whenever I had time, I searched for ONE CROP that would be…
- Easy to grow,
- Won’t make me run up and down the shamba,
- Difficult to steal,
- Easy to sell,
- And cost friendly.
Therefore, if this experience describes your farming journey, you’ve come to…
“The ultimate guide for bean farming in Kenya!”
Let us not forget that the cultivation of Earth is the most important labor for man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. the farmers, therefore are the founders of civilization.
Daniel Webster

Growing Beans Happens to Fit All the Requirements Above.
After doing some extensive research, (and asking my woman which bean variety she, and Kenyans like), I finally settled on growing yellow beans.
For best yield results, I recommend growing Amana yellow beans–1 kilo goes for Ksh 221, and you need 30 kilos/acre. <<< follow link for details on how you can buy the beans.
“Why grow yellow beans?”
You may ask.
Here is why…
- The selling price of yellow beans is 10 -20% higher than other bean varieties.
Varieties like nyayo, mwitemania, rose-coco, saitoti etc. sell for much less.
This however, does not mean the varieties above are inferior.
There are people who love them. For example if you are targeting to sell to boarding schools, Nyayo beans is the best.
For the best planting seed, I recommend that you buy the nyayo beans online <<< here.
- People love yellow beans. The beans are gentle to the stomach. They don’t cause flatulence or acidity like other bean varieties.
- The market demand good. Yellow beans outsell other bean varieties in Kenya.
Because of those reasons, I fell in love with yellow beans.
I saw myself making BIG money.
The problems of school fees, college tuition, and car maintenance would be over.”
I happily thought.
So I started Planning. Calculating. Making arrangements on how to grow the beans.
But there was a problem.
I didn’t know how yield per acre of yellow beans to expect.
The lack of that info was like, “Walking on a potholed street during a dark moonless night having no torch.”
Bean Yield Per Acre
Since I had no clue of the kilos I can harvest per acre, of yellow beans, I had find out for myself.
That was really sad…
considering it wasn’t my first time to grow beans.
I CLEARLY remember when I was a teenager.
My parents used to grow beans (though not yellow beans).
I could help dad and mum to plant, weed, and harvest the beans.
Thus had EVERY opportunity to have a FIRSTHAND experience in growing beans.
Unfortunately, I a hard-headed boy.
The adolescence virus made me hate farming!
In my teens, not once did I have an interest in knowing how many kilos of beans dad harvested from an acre.
Now, the payback time had come.
I was in dire need of that info—real life info as opposed to academic knowledge.
My ‘hard head’ was JUSTLY being rewarded.
What an awful lesson I missed!
If only I knew the knowledge on bean farming would be vital years down the lane—I would have been a keen observer.
My mind would absorb everything like a dry sponge.
However, that now is in the past.
I had to rely on…
Online Sources Say You Can Get 900 Kilos of Bean Yield Per Acre
(continue reading to know how many kilos I harvested in an acre)
Because I wasn’t keen, on the farming lessons dad taught me, I had to rely on research from THIRD PARTIES.
Quickly, like all millennials, I did some online research.
Doctor Google fortunately came to my rescue.
He SPAT A LONG LIST of bean farming articles.
Most of them YAPPED that…
“One acre is capable of giving, 10 bags of 90 kilos each of beans.”
On paper, that bean yield looked VERY good.
Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you are a thousand miles from the corn field.
Dwight D. Einsenhower
It meant that I would fetch, “a gross sale of KES 120,000/=”
And if I was to use a MAXIMUM of KES 50,000 on expenses, I would be left with KES 70,000 per acre!
That was simply incredible.
Imagine a 120% return on investment—all in a space of 3 months.
Even an IPO of the best company can’t beat such a return.
That was really enticing!
“Will I be able to get similar if I grow the beans?”
For a long time, I thought about it.
During my entire teenage life, (when my dad was farming beans) I hadn’t seen him reap such huge bean yields per acre—yet he was a WONDERFUL and EXPERIENCED farmer.
My past experience therefore, made me doubt the online claims.
It seemed too good to be true!
But there was only ONE way to find out…
“Growing the beans myself.”
How It All Started: My REAL LIFE Experience Growing Yellow Beans at Nyamusi Division, Nyamira County.
Encouraged by the potential big harvests per acre, (as claimed by online sources) I set out to grow yellow beans.
I have written about part of the experience (with photos) on this link.
How I Used Bean Herbicides to Reduce Weeding Time from 2 Days to 2 Hours.
For now, let us continue with what brought you here.
Here is what I did:
- I leased land,
- Ploughed it,
- and did all that relates to bean farming.
When that was all over, I harvested 400 kilos of yellow beans from one acre.
Though this bean yield per acre was way below my target (of 1000 kilos)…
… the yield was still satisfactory.
From my estimates, this yield wasn’t bad at all…
… even though it fell below my target.
Why?
- I recovered ALL my CASH,
- I got a profit (details shown in a section below)
- I learnt an invaluable practical lessons on bean farming.
My honest believe is:
“Next time I grow dry beans; my harvest will EXCEED 900 kilos per acre.”
Continue reading below to know:
- The mistakes I made, so that you don’t make them too,
- The amount of seed I used per acre, (which I think reduced expected yields)
- The costs I incurred for the acre,
- The herbicides I used to reduce weeding time by 80%,
- And much more!
Two Mistakes Made Me Get 4 bags Instead of 10 Bags Per Acre
- Late planting.
This I believe was the SINGLE biggest mistake.
In my own estimation, late planting reduced my bean yield by +30%.
Here’s how.
When it got to planting time, I got VERY busy.
I had to sort some pressing issues.
I had to sort one problem, only for another to pop up.
That really drained time and energy from me.
By the time I was through with those issues, 3 weeks had already passed.
Dearly, the 3- week delay cost me.
Because during pod formation, there was a two-week HOT sunny period.
In this period the intense sun dried up ALL the young pods that were forming.
What was left were those that were formed earlier.
I reasoned therefore, If I had planted a little early, the hot sunny weather would have little impact on yields.
It is thus with farming. If you do one thing late you will be late in your work.
Cato the Elder.
2. Low bean seed rate per acre.
To MAXIMIZE the bean production, you require to plant 30 kilos of beans seed for 1 acre.
I know this seed requirement seems way TOO high.
However, I am talking from experience.
Personally, I used 18 kilos for the acre of beans.
From my OBSERVATION, I should have used 30 instead of 18 kilos.
After seed germination, the lower seed rate resulted in NUMEROUS, empty, wide spaces between bean plants.
The empty space was a real waste.
If the beans were closely spaced, maybe, I would have had higher yields per acre.
You sow that you may reap, and then you reap that you may sow. is thus with farming. Nothing ever comes of it.
Johannes Stabaeus.
A Must Know: The Cost of Planting Beans Per Acre…
| Item | # Required | Unit cost | Total cost |
1. | Leasing of 1 acre | 1 acre | 3,500 | 3,500 |
2. | Ploughing | 1 acre | 2,000 | 2,000 |
3. | Pre-emergent herbicide (roundup) | 2 Liters | 1,000 | 2,000 |
4. | Bean seed | 30 kilos | 120 | 3,600 |
5. | Post emergent bean herbicide (Beansclean) | 2 liters | 2,000 | 4,000 |
6. | Herbicide application | — | 200 | 200 |
7. | Harvesting | — | 2,000 | 2000 |
8. | Fuel and transport | — | 1,000 | 1,000 |
9. | Drying and winnowing | — | — | 950 |
10. | Preservative (actelic powder) | 300gms | 540 | 540 |
11. | Fertilizer DAP | 2 bags | 2,750 | 5,500 |
12. | Fertilizer CAN | 2 bags | 2,000 | 4,000 |
13. | 1 liter | 600 | 600 | |
|
|
| Grand Total | 29,890 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Gross Profit Analysis | |||
1. | Bags Harvested | 4 | ||
2. | Expected price for the 4 bags @11,000 per bag | 44,000 | ||
3. | Total expenses incurred | 29,890 | ||
4. | Gross profit per acre | 14,110 | ||
5. | Return on investment | 47.2% |
How to Increase the Yield of Beans Per Acre
- Avoid the mistakes mentioned in the post above.
i.e. ensure that you plant early, and use the right amount of seed per acre
- Spray hormones to stimulate the production of more flowers during the flowering stage.
- Spray foliar feeds that contain boron, and potassium. Beans need these elements in large amounts during flowering and pod formation.
- Use the right fertilizers in the right amounts.
- Use lots of farmyard manure to improve the soil fertility and organic matter.
What are your thoughts on Bean Yield Per Acre?
Share them in the comments section below!
Thank you so much for this piece of valuable advise . I have no words but to thank you kindly share your contacts I would like to contact you.
Hi Grace Saita,
Thanks for your gracious words.
To get to me, just use the WhatsApp button that is floating on this page, or on any page on this website.
Hello, Haron Mogeni,
Thank you for this valuable information. I have been looking for genuine information and experience on bean farming and I seem to be there already. That experience you shared has always been my headaque for long. If fine, please you can share your contact especially wats app number so I can reach you for more information
Thanks and regards
Kanyesigye Dalton (Uganda)
Thank you so much for this piece. I would like to ask about seed rate? If I go for 70 kgs per acre is that seed population viable or it will affect production?
DAP& CAN are too high for bean crops ..band the fertilizer to use even less…. beans “manufacture” their own N in the roots….too much of N promotes leafy growth.
It is true that beans manufacture their own N in the roots. However, there are some soils that are so deficient in nitrogen such that without applying sufficient nitrogen for at the beginning, the beans will not perform well. Once you do subsequent plantings of beans you may have to reduce the levels of DAP you apply.
thank you for the information. i would like to know if i can grow this yellow beans in Narok olulunga areas. And how long does it take for harvesting?
Hi Joy Beatrice,
Thank you for reaching out to me with this question.
Yellow beans can grow perfectly at olulunga in Narok. They will take 3-3 1/2 months to them to be fully ready for harvest.
Thanks.
I wish you good luck in your Venture!
Hi, I’m Brian. An aspiring farmer and your article got my eye as I was researching on beans farming, I’ve read through this post and my question is ;
1. do you still farm the yellow beans
2. After the lesson learnt from the experience you narrated hear , Did you impliment and correct on your findings…and if yes …. How was the yield ?
Regards
Thank you Brian for your Questions. I wanted to improve on the bean farm however I was screwed by adverse weather. There was so much unexpected hailstones in my area thus destroying all my beans. Once I find an opportunity, I will replant the yellow beans again and further refine my findings. Thanks.
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Do you have the seeds and at how much?
No sir. To get beans Seeds just visit your nearest agrovet and you’ll get what you need. If you can’t get the bean variety you need, just visit the market look for what you need and you are good to go.
Thanks.
Thanks for this useful info
Hello Haron. Apart from Nyamira where else do yellow beans grow?
Yellow beans can grow almost everywhere in Kenya.
All they need is reliable rainfall, but not too much. If you are from the highland areas, consider growing yellow beans during the short rainy season.
Thanks.
Hello sir,
Thanks for the highlights on beans production. May I know the appropriate time to plant beans in Western Kenya (kakamega) and the best variety for high yields. Also the recommended Bean spacing
Regards
Ambrose
Thank you Ambrose for leaving a comment.
The best time to grow beans is during the short rainy season.
the recommended bean spacing in Kenya is 10-15 CM X 40 CM.
for more information join our telegram channel using this link https://t.me/farmingpros
This is very good about the ideal bean spacing . Is it line spacing or
Thank you so much
A great article, thanks for sharing your experience!
Thank you.
You are welcome. For More please follow us on https://t.me/farmingpros
Hi Haron,
Thank you for the valuable information and breakdown of costs. Is it advisable to irrigate the beans, and at what stage just in case the rains are insufficient?
Thanks,
Amos
Thank you Amos for your question;
Irrigation of beans is a good idea in case rains fail or are inadequate.
When it comes to the right stage of irrigating beans, It would be best that you do it during flower formation and during pod formation.
At the flower and pod formation stage, beans require sufficient water.
Without enough water, the beans will abort their flowers and pods.
So what is the best irrigation system to use on beans?
Well, you can use furrow irrigation, and sprinkler irrigation.
Here is a related post about irrigation that may be of help
https://pangonionlinemarketing.com/raingun-sprinkler-best-way-to-irrigate-farm-raingun-sprinkler-review/
Hi Haron,
I am a first time farmer of beans. My land is in Thika next to the pineapple plantations, a part we have just cleared virgin land from a formerly thick thicket on red soil.
My questions:
can I do organic farming and still get high yields here?
What should I do in order to gain high yields without fertilizers, herbicides eg round up and other chemicals in this virgin land?
Thank you.
Grace
Thank you Grace for your question and for your interest in beginning bean farming.
Since your question requires a comprehensive answer, I have written a detailed blogpost about organic bean farming in Thika here. Please follow link for detail