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.
KBL chief executive officer Chris Kolenberg welcomed the deal.
“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.
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