KENYA
The European Union (EU) is the largest market in the world for Kenyan exports, absorbing a total of 21 percent of their products, and 70 percent of Kenya’s cut flowers. It is a market known for increasingly strict legislation on maximum residue levels (MRLs) on crops, and for stringent monitoring of pests and diseases present on crops arriving in the Union. To succeed in this market and maintain the crucial income for the country’s economy, Kenya has had to turn to nature to solve its crop problems.
“We can’t keep up with production and new research,” says Donvae Hooker, business communication lead at Andermatt in Africa. “The demand for biologicals is so high due to the clamp down on chemical usage that we are inundated with requests for farmers looking for alternatives to chemicals.”
Photo courtesy of Andermatt Madumbi
While this is a good problem to have in terms of a business’ future, it does outline just how much still needs to be done in the biologicals space to give Kenyan farmers the help they need to survive. The EU and Kenya are highly aligned on an ambitious climate, biodiversity and environmental global agenda. Kenya has prioritized transition to a green economy, combining the needs to generate growth and create employment, with the sustainable conservation of the environment and natural resources, resilience, and a reduced negative climate impact. The approach aims for a paradigm shift and an economic model that combines sustainable growth with
environmental conservation and climate resilience.
Little research has been conducted on the size and potential of the Kenyan biosolutions market. But considering the size and value of its export markets in countries increasingly clamping down on chemical usage, future prospects for the biosolutions market are positive for this country, which relies on income of nearly USD$2 billion from its agricultural exports.
Effective controlIndeed, if Kenyan farmers are to continue to benefit from trade with the EU, which holds far more buying power for the vegetables, fruit and flowers it produces than almost any other market, they are best advised to make the shift towards chemical free, environmentally friendly production as soon as possible.
The biologicals market in Kenya is already quite established, ranking second in Africa for biological solutions usage (South Africa ranks first) with much room for expansion. Hamish Ker, Andermatt’s commercial manager for Kenya and East Africa, notes that intensive floriculture and horticulture producers are the biggest users, since these are sophisticated industries making use of a wide range of biological products. “Uptake in avocado, mango and macadamia orchards is also increasing, especially pheromone traps and seed dressings. Broadacre crops
like maize, wheat, sorghum, barley, canola, chia and peas are currently limited to humic and fulvic acids, while we are seeing an increasing uptake of biologicals by small scale vegetable farmers.”
Macrobial products such as the insect predator Phytoselius, is used to control targeted pests like red spider mite. Biofungicides such as Trichoderma and bacteria Bascillus are used to control root-borne pathogens and act as biostimulants. Then there are the concentrated biostimulants fulvic and humic acids and chelate nutrients that improve the efficacy of foliar applications.
Insect predator Phytoselius is used to control red spider mite in greenhouse crops. Photo courtesy of Andermatt Madumbi
Kenyan farmers also make use of hormones such as triacontanol and brassinosteroids to boost the growth of roots and plants. Biocides made up of viruses or bacteria are also widely used to control key pests. This includes Beauvaria bassiana for white flies and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for caterpillars. The latter two are especially becoming popular since both these pests have developed resistance to chemical pesticides.
Pheromone traps are also popular to monitor notifiable pests such as false codling moth (FCM) as well as control populations. Sticky traps are used both to reduce numbers and for scouting.
FCM is proving to be a particular challenge for Kenyan farmers. The EU defines FCM as a quarantine pest, meaning that fresh produce containing the moth cannot be allowed into the European market. However, random checks of fresh imports from Kenya have found increasing numbers to be FCM-infested, with rose exports in particular driving a sharp increase in rejected consignments. The Kenyan government has therefore launched an urgent offensive against the moth that has infested 70 types of crops, from roses to citrus fruits and capsicums. If not fully addressed, Kenya could see their exports revoked completely, leading to a collapse of the flower and horticulture sector.
While chemical registrations for FCM have been fast tracked, farmers still need to adhere to MRL laws, making the development of biological products all the more important. Several Bt-based products have been registered for use on most crops and flowers and are making a dent in infestations.
Improving soil health and yieldsKenya leads the way in East Africa for biofertilizer usage, making up 12.2 percent of the total revenue share in Africa in 2019. Neighbours Tanzania and Uganda each have less than half that, with South Africa making up the lion’s share at 57.8 percent. Biofertilizer usage in Africa is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 5.9 percent between 2020 and 2025.
The high cost of conventional fertilizer is a huge deterrent to greater uptake, prompting many farmers to go the biological route. The country’s shift towards more sustainable agriculture is also driving farmers to adopt cost-effective integrated nutrient management systems. This, in turn, may lead to demand for biofertilizers to grow even further.
The scope for growth is sizeable since many farmers are still unfamiliar with biofertilizers, lacking training on usage, and easy access. In a bid to increase sales and usage among smallholder farmers who need smaller quantities for their small plots of land, biofertilizers produced by Koppert and the Microbial Resource Centre laboratory at the University of Nairobi in Kenya make smaller packs available, some only containing 10 grams of fertilizer, enough to inoculate one kilogram of seed.
Small-scale farmers in Kenya make up 69 percent of all farmers and any crop solution should take their challenges into account. Photo courtesy of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)
Research conducted by Adekunle Raimi, at the Unit for Environmental Science and Management, at North-West University in South Africa, states that another important factor affecting biofertilizer usage and development, is handling and storage conditions. Generally, a lower temperature of 4 degrees C is recommended for biofertilizer storage for longer shelf life. But since refrigerators cannot be adequately maintained in Kenya where the average farmer is constrained financially, the electricity supply erratic, and the temperature as high as 40 degrees C, efficient biofertilizer storage is difficult to achieve. This could be the reason for substandard results achieved with biofertilizers and the consequent skepticism from farmers.
Companies such as Koppert and Bayer have installed refrigerators in their stores to better preserve the natural products and aid the shelf life.
A report by Mordor Intelligence points out that the growth rate of liquid biofertilizers is more than carrier-based fertilizers; farmers prefer the former since they are better able to withstand temperatures higher than 30 degrees C and UV rays. They estimate the total usage of fertilizers by Kenyans to be nearly 600,000 metric tonnes per year, and believe that at least half can be replaced by Rhizobium biofertilizer in fields that are deficient in nitrogen.
A new addition to the biofertilizer space is bokashi. The popularity of this organic fertilizer is increasing globally, and Kenya is no different. Government organizations and NPOs are especially focusing much attention on driving awareness of the efficacy and low cost of bokashi. The fact that farmers can brew the mixture themselves using organic matter and yeast adds to its attractiveness.
One such NPO, the Resources Oriented Development Initiative in Kenya (RODI Kenya), offers regular workshops on bokashi production, especially for small scale farmers and those running food gardens. While the cost of initially applying bokashi can be prohibitive for many small farmers, the need for it diminishes each year, and farmers are encouraged to make their own rather than buy it. Today, several organizations as well as some individual farmers have begun producing and packaging the fertilizer commercially.
Challenges in increasing uptakeWhile a big challenge facing the biocontrol industry is accelerating natural solutions and keeping up with demand, there is still a greater need to increase the uptake of biologicals to reach the
environmental and economic goals for the country. Ker says that achieving a mindset change in farmers is the biggest hurdle in this regard.
“Biologicals need more comprehensive planning which can be a deterrence to farmers. In many cases, farmers are combining biological with chemical protection which necessitates careful planning of applications so that the chemicals don’t obliterate the biologicals.”
Organic production might be the ultimate goal for farmers and consumers, but the reality is that often organic and inorganic controls need to work together to achieve optimal production and minimal food and resource waste when crops are attacked by pests. Ker says that lower returns on investment in the chemicalindustry could ironically hurt biological production.
“The cost to get a chemical to market is massive and we are seeing that companies are getting less value from their products because incorrect and over usage is leading to pest resistance. We could be seeing less research and development of synthetic solutions as a result. Because biological solutions are often complemented by chemical solutions in the case of severe pest outbreaks, there is still a need for the latter. Ultimately, all these products need to work in harmony to achieve the best results.”
Ker also states that for biologicals to work at their optimum, there needs to be a paradigm shift from curative agriculture to preventative. “Farmers want to see the knock down effect immediately when they apply controls, but the biological process is more about preventing the pests from occurring in the first place. Farmers need to build diversity of beneficial fungi, bacteria and pests first to see the results, so they need to believe and have confidence to stay the course and not revert to chemicals and conventional fertilizers too quickly.”
A large portion of Kenya’s agriculture is in greenhouses and serves the export market.
Photo: Lindi Botha
In a sector with notoriously low margins, the cost versus benefit of any product is carefully considered. Interestingly, a study conducted by the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nairobi in Kenya, on the willingness of farmers to pay for a product that would assist in the control of aflatoxins, found that awareness was a key determinant.
The aim of the study was to assess if farmers would be willing to pay for Aflasafe KE01, a biological control product the university developed for aflatoxin mitigation in maize in Kenya, to determine prospects for scaling the technology and pursuing policies that would expand the potential markets for the product. The study found that how well known the product was, was one of the most important determinants in whether they would not only pay for it, but pay a slightly higher price than other products.
Research concluded that in increasing uptake of biological products, awareness efforts should be stepped up through government and NGO field days, and through extension workers. In addition, awareness raising can lead to an improved understanding about the correct use of the product for enhanced effectiveness. Incorrect use could adversely affect the efficacy of the product, leading to low adoption by farmers in future.
Companies looking to launch new products in Kenya are advised to consider the heterogeneous nature of farmers in Kenya, and employ a strategy that accommodates the resource-poor majority who depend on their crops as their staple, the 69 percent of farmers who are deemed ‘small scale’, as well as those who trade and export their produce, and have a major role to play in sustaining the use of the products.
Future prospectsThe future is bright for biological- and natural solution-driven companies in Kenya. Ker notes that 20 years ago it was a different space, and the integrated pest management world was seen as pie in the sky. “The industry was limited to a few organic crusaders and had no place in the modern industrial world. Today, as we move into the green revolution, the momentum for such balanced solutions, and companies creating these solutions to reverse engineer our climate and living space, will thrive.
“Biological products are the solution to so many challenges – from food insecurity to environmental degradation, and improvements in human health,” Ker adds. “Biologicals can ultimately ensure globalsecurity for all nations by protecting our earth. ●
Agriculture is the dominant sector in Kenya, accounting for around 22 percent of the overall GDP.
The dominant exported crops are tea, coffee, vegetables and cut flowers.
Crops make up 16 percent, industry related activities 17 percent and service activities 60.6 percent.
The value of horticulture exports increased from KSh150.2 billion (US$1.147 billion) in 2020 toKSh157.7 billion (US$ 1.206 billion) in 2021.
The food and beverages category accounted for the largest proportion of all domestic exports at 43.1 percent.
Coffee production declined by 6.5 percent from 36.9 metric tonnes in 2019-20 to 34.5 metric tonnes in 2020-21.
The estimated area under coffee declined from 119.7 thousand hectares in 2019-20 to 108.2 thousand hectares in 2020-21. In general, production has been on a downward trend over the years, mainly due to uprooting of coffee trees to make way for investment in real estate.
Source: 2022 economic survey by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
The demand for biologicals is so high ... we are inundated with requests from farmers
False coddling moth (FCM) is proving to be a particular challenge for Kenyan farmers.
A new addition to the biofertilizer space is bokashi.
For biologicals to work at their optimum, there needs to be a paradigm shift from curative agriculture to preventative
Hamish Ker, Andermatt commercial manager, Kenya and East Africa
