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US bio firm targets Dar exports in deal with Murang’a distributor

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A farmer tends to his crop. FILE PHOTO | NMG

US bio-based pest management and plant health products maker Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI) has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Kenya Biologics Ltd (KBL) to market pesticides in Kenya and Tanzania.

The firm said it will ride on what it sees as huge demand among Kenyan farmers for pest control products.

“These new markets represent notable opportunities for MBI’s portfolio of bio-pesticides. Kenya is the second largest exporter of French beans and peas to the European Union (EU), as well as a key supplier of roses globally,” it said in a statement.

It noted that farmers rely heavily on low-residue crop protection methods to comply with strict EU regulations on imports, which has created need for effective biological pest control solutions.

Murang’a-based KBL produces and distributes biological farm inputs in Kenya and Tanzania. It said it has over 13,000 customers across all farm sizes.

It is supported by the African Enterprise Challenge fund, which provides funding to innovative companies working on sustainable solutions.

“Our expansion into Kenya and Tanzania affirms our commitment to work with farmers, food companies and retailers to provide cost-effective, proven solutions to increase crop yields, while helping farmers meet sustainability goals,” said MBI’s chief executive officer Pam Marrone.
KBL chief executive officer Chris Kolenberg welcomed the deal.

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“Together, our goal is to make farming more sustainable, while at the same time increasing yields for farmersa. We believe that MBI’s portfolio of bio-pesticides represents an important step in achieving this goal,” he said.

Kenya exported Sh102 billion worth of horticultural produce in 2016, the bulk of it to European markets. But Kenya’s fresh produce exporters have also raised the alarm over increased blockage of their goods in Europe due to quality concerns.

Kenya finds itself between a rock and hard place in its bid to rid its fields of pests as EU agencies continue to lower the maximum residue level (MRL), the highest level of a pesticide residue legally tolerated in food.