[Startup Interview] Grace Wanjiru, Director of Operations, Agricultural Solutions, Kenya

Agricultural Solutions Kenya has been working with rural communities and youth in the supply of agricultural machinery, biogas installations and training. It recently started a crowdfunding campaign to make available to farmers seed planters. The Director of Operations Grace Wanjiru explains.

What does your company do?

Agricultural Solutions Kenya is an organisation that operates in the renewable energy  and sustainable agriculture space .We are the one stop shop  for biogas installation, solar installation, digester septic tank installation and supply of agricultural machinery.

Where is it located?

We are located  at the central business district in Nairobi city along Haile Selassie Avenue.

Who are your clients? 

We work closely with farmers providing much needed products .This goes hand in hand with our mission of infusing simplicity into agriculture.

What are your company’s Unique Selling Points?

Our main selling point is easier accessibility. Our team delivers required products to farmers at their doorsteps therefore enhancing convenience. We take pride in providing innovative products that have over time addressed our customers’ needs.

How is your company aiding the farming business in Kenya, both in rural and/or urban areas? 

Although rural families often make their living from many different types of work, improvements in farming have proven to be the path toward widespread, poverty-reducing growth in the rural economy. 

We focus  on  successful agricultural transformations and have focused on the farming household while providing opportunities for farmers to earn a better income. This means raising farm productivity or shifting the mix of production to include higher-value crops and livestock. We have provided innovative technologies that are affordable and accessible to farmers.

How has the market responded to your products/services?

We have now provided our products in all counties in Kenya. Through out the year our teams are visting homesteads and meeting farmers ensuring we listen to their needs and tailor our products to address those needs.

What are the ambitions of the company?

Our plan is  to well serve the East African market with a keen focus on Tanzania, Rwanda Uganda and the DRC. Through our digital platforms we have started providing trainings mapping and shapping our strategy  for these markets

What does your company need to grow and prosper?

Our commitment  to bringing  small and big change is a our greatest motivation .We also believe in forging partnerships to bridge the gaps of what is not available to us

In what direction will  the company be going 2020?

We are looking to grow the large scale biogas market in Kenya. We are also looking  for more penetration of affordable agricultural  technology. We are looking also to impact more on youth by providing training on biogas installation

What is the latest news from your company?

We are excited about a crowd funding campaign we are running to make seed planters easily accessible to farmers in marginalized communities.

Crop yields are diminishing in Sub Saharan Africa due to excessive cultivation, reduced organic content of soil and desertification. When combined with crop rotation, Conservation Agriculture techniques have proven crucial in reversing these trends by minimizing soil disturbance and maintaining an organic surface layer.

Planting seeds and fertilizer through this organic surface layer is a challenge among small-scale farmers. 

We are running a crowd funding campaign to make available to farmers seed planters.

The seed planter is designed to help women farmers overcome this challenge. Among other benefits, the planter include enabling farmers to practice conservation, agriculture, increasing crop production at affordable costs and with less energy required and creating rural employment opportunities.

www.agriculturalsolutionskenya.com

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