Biz Lounge: Love for organic farming grows into lucrative pesticide production

For seven years, Percy Njeri climbed the ranks in the education sector, progressing from a biology and agriculture teacher to a lecturer at Baraka Agricultural College. However, she eventually left her teaching career to pursue her passion for organic farming.

In 2019, Njeri decided to fully commit to organic food farming. She started by planting vegetables, potatoes, and maize on her farm, but soon encountered challenges when pests infested her crops. 

Lacking access to organic pesticides, she resorted to using ash, which provided limited effectiveness.

This experience highlighted the significant gap in the availability of organic inputs for farmers, inspiring Njeri to enter the organic input manufacturing industry. 

With the support of her husband, she established Percmax Company Limited in 2021, securing a loan of Sh. 70,000 to purchase raw materials and set up her workshop.

In the early stages, convincing farmers of the efficacy of organic inputs was a challenge. Njeri focused on working with established organic farmers and gradually expanded her reach. 

She began by producing nitrogenous foliar fertilizer and, through ongoing research, expanded her product line to include bio-pesticides, bio-fungicides, and bio-stimulants.

"I’m glad I took the leap of faith," Njeri reflects. "I started with one product, but now we offer a range of organic inputs, and we've seen a significant increase in production."

Njeri makes Sh. 50,000 per month that has been able to support her family and invest back into her business for expansion.

Despite her success, Njeri faces challenges, including the growing demand for organic inputs and the rising costs of delivering products to customers.

Looking ahead, she aims to grow her business into the largest bio-input factory, producing inputs that support farmers throughout the entire growth cycle, from planting to harvest. 

She also hopes to expand her company's presence beyond its current single branch in Molo.

Njeri calls for government support, noting that while conventional farmers benefit from subsidies for fertilizers and other inputs, organic farmers are often overlooked.

"Organic farming is generally low-cost and accessible to all farmers. The government should invest in this area to enhance food security, particularly for smallholder farmers," she emphasizes.