Murang’a: A youthful farmer in Mathioya constituency, Murang’a County, has turned to Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming to manage organic waste as well as the high cost of animal feeds. BSF farming manages waste by turning organic household waste into useful, protein-rich feed products, subsequently solving two major problems in agriculture: managing waste and cutting the cost of animal feeds.
According to Kenya News Agency, the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) consists of four distinct stages: the egg stage, the larval stage, the pupal stage, and the adult stage. Notably, the larval stage, which takes 13-18 days, is the most vital stage in agriculture. At this stage, the larvae grow rapidly and could eat organic waste twice their weight each day. The larvae are also fed to animals like pigs and chickens as a highly protein-rich alternative to feeds because, at this stage, the larvae have accumulated fats and proteins for use in the pupal and adult stages.
Herman Kimondo Ngunjiri, a project management graduate, is a poultry breeder farmer and the manager at JOHIJA Farm, which is owned by his father in Kamune village. With a flock of chickens made up of more than 500 Kenbroow and Kuroiler varieties and a sounder of more than 50 pigs, he says the fundamental purpose for engaging in BSF farming was to cut the cost of production and maximise profits from the industry. Kimondo shared, ‘The black soldier larvae are protein supplements which we mix with little feed for our pigs and poultry because the cost of feeds has been on an upward spiral in recent years, and we had to get an alternative, and BSF fly farming came in handy.’
In pursuit of this innovative farming technique, the 25-year-old visited the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), where he received training on BSF farming and acquired the colony at the pupal stage for setting up the venture in a greenhouse setup. ‘Pigs and poultry require proteins for development and to increase weight within a short time for better profits; a kilo of protein supplement currently retails for Sh200, but with this BSF farming, which requires zero capital, my animals are healthy and fetch higher in the market,’ he explained.
The BSF farming process begins with the egg stage, taking 4-5 days in a protected area near organic waste as female flies lay clusters of tiny cream-colored 500-900 eggs. ‘Next is the larval stage, which takes 13-18 days, and here, the larvae consume massive amounts of organic waste, thus accumulating lots of proteins and fats,’ Kimondo elaborated. ‘It is also at this stage that we harvest about 70 per cent of the protein-rich larvae and mix it with the feeds for pigs and poultry,’ he added. The remaining 30 per cent of the larval population transforms into pupae, preparing for the adulthood stage. ‘It takes 7-14 days, and no feeding occurs during this transformation,’ he noted.
In the final stage, the black soldier fly life cycle progresses to the adult stage, which takes 5-8 days, during which adult flies emerge to mate and lay eggs, solely focusing on reproduction. At this stage, they do not require feeding. Moreover, the BSF farming has provided Kimondo with an extra income stream as he sells mature larvae at Sh300 per kilo, the neonates at Sh500 per kilo, and the pupae starter pack at Sh1500 per kilo to farmers. Furthermore, he trains and offers agricultural support to farmers on BSF farming, which has not yet gained popularity in the country.
Kimondo has urged the government to subsidise the cost of raw materials used in manufacturing animal feeds, which would lower the overall cost of animal feeds. He also encourages young people to engage in farming activities that are not capital intensive instead of waiting for formal employment, which is increasingly scarce. ‘With the right information, farming is profitable and it doesn’t have to require a lot of capital,’ he said.
