Many farmers across Uganda grow beans, but when it comes to removing the husks after harvest, the process is often slow, labour-intensive, and costly.
Most farmers rely on traditional methods like beating the pods with sticks or trampling them underfoot. However, Joseph Bukenya, a progressive farmer from Luwero district, has found a more efficient solution, the bean sheller.
Bukenya explains, “If you are a serious farmer, especially one growing beans on a commercial scale, I advise you to invest in a bean sheller. It’s a smart decision that saves both time and money.
Instead of spending days shelling beans manually, you just pour in the dry beans, start the machine, and in a few minutes, you will have clean, ready-to-sell beans. It really transforms your post-harvest work.
The bean sheller is designed to be simple and user-friendly. It is manually adjusted, allowing the operator to control the speed and pressure depending on the type of beans. Once fed into the machine, the beans pass through a rotating filter system that removes the husks while minimising seed damage. The result is a cleaner product and significant time savings.
Made from strong steel, the bean sheller weighs about 20 to 30 kilogrammes. Despite its sturdy build, it is portable and doesn’t require electricity to operate, making it suitable even for off-grid rural farms. “The key is to ensure that the beans are properly dried before shelling,” Bukenya advises.
Simon Sempala, a local welder and fabricator, says a durable bean sheller can be made or purchased at a cost of around sh2–3 million.
“If well maintained, it can last for decades,” he says. He encourages farmers to view it as an investment. “It reduces labour costs, increases efficiency, and improves the quality of beans for market.”
