KIGALI, Rwanda: June 19 (Xinhua) — The Rwandan government on Tuesday announced the release of five new iron-rich bean varieties that could provide more iron in the diets of millions of Rwandese who eat beans every day, sources said.
Children and women will be the main beneficiaries of the new bean varieties, which could provide up to 30 percent of their daily iron needs, according to the source. The new iron-rich bean varieties were bred by the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) using conventional breeding methods.
According to a press release issued in Kigali by “HarvestPlus”, an international NGO working on agriculture research, iron deficiency is widely prevalent during childhood and adolescence in Sub-Saharan Africa, which lowers resistance to disease and impairs learning capacity.
“This [iron deficiency] reduces the ability of adults for physical labor. Severe anemia increases the risk of women dying in childbirth,” the news release said.
Latest government statistics showed anemia in Rwanda, which is used as an indicator of iron deficiency, afflicts almost one out of five non-pregnant women and 40 percent of children under five in the tiny central African nation.
Rwandan farmers who evaluated these beans during field trials like them because they are high yielding and resistant to major diseases and pests. The beans are also highly marketable due to their large seed size and their preferred colors, including red and white that are sought for local and urban markets, the press release added.
By September 2012, HarvestPlus and its partners would distribute more than 200 tonnes of iron-rich climbing and bush bean varieties via agrodealers and local markets to about 75,000 farming households accord.
Farmers will be able to grow these new beans to feed their families. They can also harvest and share seeds with others in their community, amplifying the nutritional benefits. By the end of 2013, more than half a million household members are expected to be eating iron-rich beans, according to the same source. (Xinhua)
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