Ndengu glut now forces counties to devise ways to cushion farmers

Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu during a meeting with mining companies at a Nairobi hotel. [Willis Awandu/Standard]

Ndengu, described as green gold by proponents, the tiny legume is threatening to break and make political careers in Lower Eastern.

Rallied by politicians into planting green grams (ndengu) with the promise of good prices, farmers churned out bumper harvest in Tharaka Nithi, Kitui and Makueni but now the chickens have come home to roost with a ruthless market and poor prices.