Nairobi: A new agricultural technology targeting lower farm input costs, improved crop yields, and greater resilience to climate change has been launched in Kenya. Plantos Verde, a mineral-based plant growth activator distributed by AgriMedic East Africa, is designed to complement conventional fertilizers by improving the efficiency with which crops utilize nutrients and other resources.
According to Kenya News Agency, speaking during the launch at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in Nairobi, AgriMedic East Africa Executive Chairman Ian Amani Jefwa said the technology would help farmers produce more from existing farmland while improving profitability. ‘We cannot continue to demand more from our farmers without giving them better tools with which to work,’ Jefwa said, urging farmers to embrace evidence-based innovations.
He highlighted that farmers were facing declining soil health, unpredictable weather, droughts, floods, and rising costs of fertilizer and crop-protection products, making efficient use of farm inputs increasingly important. Plantos Verde is formulated from micronized calcium carbonate and 15 additional minerals and is applied as a foliar spray to support plant processes, including photosynthesis, biomass development, plant structure, and water-use efficiency.
Jefwa emphasized that the product was not intended to replace conventional fertilizers but to complement good agronomic practices. He explained that technical findings indicated potential reductions of up to 30 percent in synthetic fertilizer use and 20 to 40 percent in pesticide and fungicide use under appropriate conditions. However, he cautioned that the figures were not guarantees, as results would depend on the crop, soil, farming practices, and other conditions.
The company stated that the technology had undergone efficacy trials with KALRO involving Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, barley, lemons, and avocados. Jefwa noted that KALRO’s Kabete Food Crops Research Institute had provided technical expertise, research support, and testing and demonstration facilities. ‘Farmers should not be asked to believe in technology simply because somebody markets it well. Agriculture must be driven by evidence,’ he said.
He further remarked, ‘The ultimate test of agricultural innovation is whether it improved farmers’ returns and livelihoods. The future of African agriculture cannot simply be about using more inputs. It must increasingly be about using inputs more intelligently.’ Jefwa urged the government to consider scientifically assessed organic and biological agricultural solutions within appropriate input-support and subsidy programs, subject to regulatory and policy requirements.
He added that the company would establish farmer-support systems involving technical training, monitoring and evaluation, reliable supply chains, and partnerships with researchers and agricultural organizations. Jefwa stated that AgriMedic East Africa would distribute Plantos Verde in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
He also acknowledged Dr. Kimani Rugendo of Kevian for allowing on-farm trials of the technology at his farm in Timau, Nanyuki, saying field testing was essential in determining its value under real farming conditions. Agronomist and AgriMedic Global co-founder and Director Henry Potgieter said the technology uses micronized elements that could be absorbed by plants and was designed to enhance growth and resilience against pests and diseases.
Potgieter added that it could be used across different soil types and climatic conditions and on a wide range of crops, and the technology could provide significant benefits to small-scale farmers by lowering input costs while supporting increased yields. ‘It is a fraction of fertilizer cost,’ he said, adding that the product was intended to work alongside existing fertilizer companies and distribution systems rather than replace them.
Potgieter stated that the recommended application was about three kilograms per hectare per spray, with approximately 12 kilograms required over a complete crop cycle. The launch comes as farmers continue to grapple with the effects of climate change, including prolonged dry spells, flooding, and extreme temperatures.
