Scientist cracks low yields problem for nut farmers with bio-fertiliser
R n G founder Dorothy Onyango displays Rhizob-fix bio-fertiliser, one of her firm’s products in Kisumu yesterday. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI
What you need to know:
Biological input helps Western Kenya growers record bumper harvest after years of poor soil productivity.
Groundnut yields at Peter Ouma’s farm in Ugunja, Siaya County have been on an upward trajectory over the past four years.
During the last harvest season, his 7.5-acre piece of land produced nine metric tonnes or 100 bags of 90 kilogrammes each.
This represents a significant growth from the 500kg initially harvested when he set out to grow the nuts.
The 43-year-old farmer’s success story is replicated at Edith Awuor’s two-acre farm who upon realising similarly good yields, acquired more land.
The two are among hundreds of farmers in western Kenya who have united under community-based groups to grow groundnuts, earning a decent living in the process.
Mr Ouma and Ms Awuor attribute their success to the use of Rhizob-fix, a bio fertiliser that is the latest craze among rural residents of Ugunja.
The fertiliser is the brainchild of Dorothy Onyango, a plant geneticist.
While conducting research on soil bacteria, she interacted with low-income farmers whose farms experienced poor yields, motivating her to seek a solution for them.
Farming problem
The 31-year-old established R n G in 2010, through which she makes the fertiliser, oil as well as fish (cake) and livestock feeds (stovers) — all from groundnuts.
“My aim was to find a solution to their farming problem without compromising their nutritional requirements,” Dr Onyango, a Maseno University plant genetics PhD graduate, told Enterprise.
The cake is obtained by extracting oil from the groundnut while the stovers are made by fermenting the plant’s leafy parts for 12 days.
R n G presently works with 40 farmer groups in western Kenya, selling the products through their outlets.
Though still at pilot stage, the firm produces up to 10,000 packets (50 grammes each) of the bio-fertiliser every season and 21,600 litres a month of the cooking oil. Annually, R n G churns out 260,000 litres of the oil under brand name Prime G.
Last year, the company made Sh3.5 million revenue up from Sh2.1 million in the previous year.
Aside from improving farmers’ yields, the firm has created employment for 1,120 locals, 790 of whom are youths.
Dr Onyango says the reception of her products by the market is commendable, adding that the start-up was initially unable to meet demand for the fertiliser and cooking oil.
“We have to improve on our production capacity on both sides if we are to penetrate the bigger oil market in Kenya,” she told Enterprise.
After encountering several obstacles as a sole proprietor, Dr Onyango teamed up with Dr Abigael Otinga, an expert in soil fertility and plant nutrition. She also brought Dr Beatrice Were, an intellectual property expert, on board.
The three partnered to make R n G, which derives its name from rhizobia (nitrogen fixing soil bacteria) and groundnut.
To date, the company has received capital injection of $15,000 (Sh1.56 million).
“The source of capital includes contributions from family, friends and people who believed that my idea was worth a try,” she says.
Dr Onyango says Rhizob-fix is specific to groundnut varieties already developed by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.
The variety of groundnut is a key determinant of its maturity period which ranges between 90-130 days. Mature nuts should be firm and dry as well as brown on the outside.
The main component for Rhizob-fix is rhizobia which fixes atmospheric nitrogen into the soil through a process called biological nitrogen fixation.
The strains used in the bio-fertiliser are tolerant acid-aluminium toxicity which is the most common problem that stifles groundnut growth.
The bacteria in Rhizob-fix has high nitrogen fixing ability and zero environmental pollution as opposed to other nitrogenous fertiliser.
Raw materials for Rhizob-fix are sourced from Eldoret where Dr Onyango conducts her research on product development.
Job creation
R n G was recently nominated as a finalist for the Africa Finance & Investment Forum Entrepreneurship Award 2017, alongside another Kenya firm.
In total, six SMEs were selected out the 51 projects in the continent for the award supported by the Rabobank Foundation.
The jury picked the firms based on their social, economic and ecological impact as well as potential for growth and job creation nationally and regionally.
The winner of the award will be announced during a ceremony in Nairobi between February 13-16.
In 2013, Dr Onyango won the Field Attachment Programme Award after she developed the bio-fertiliser.
She used the funds to scale up the adoption of the technology in western Kenya and eastern Uganda.
Last year, she was the second runners up in the Gaia Awards that honours green products. She has also made the final list of the Launch Food Programme 2017.
