By BOB KOIGI
December 7, 2017, Nairobi, Kenya. Africa’s frontrunner in biological pesticide manufacturing, Dudutech is set to expand its biofactory site in Naivasha following a Ksh246 million investment from the parent company Flamingo Horticulture Investments.
The cash injection, which will also see an addition of four hectares of greenhouses and an insectary, is timely, coming at a time when major growers in Kenya and across the continent continue to express increasing appetite for biological pest control methods.
This, occasioned by an export market that continues to dictate safer and environmentally friendly food growing standards. Kenya has experienced interceptions of its key export produce, vegetables and flowers, as some of the conventional pesticides its growers rely on prove counterproductive, with pests developing resistance and the pesticides blamed for environmental pollution, loss of biodiversity and health hazards to workers. And as Kenya seeks to solidify its market base and build confidence among buyers especially in the European Union where it commands a lion share of the exports, it has turned to biological controls, becoming a global leader.
Companies like Dudutech are spearheading this revolution. Dudutech, which invests heavily in research, spending on average $1 million each year intends to also increase production capabilities to provide additional beneficial predatory insects to meet growth in demand for biologicals and satisfy the needs of major growers in Africa, Europe and the Americas.
“We are incredibly excited to see Flamingo Horticulture Investments backing Dudutech. The new investment will be used to further expand the company’s manufacturing capacity. Alongside this investment Dudutech will be recruiting into its management team, broadening its product range and increasing the scope of its international operations,” said at Thomas Mason, Managing Director Dudutech.
The company prides itself in having a team of more than 250 technicians, Masters and Doctorate level scientists who have been manufacturing insect-killing fungi and beneficial predatory insects and mites that are used as part of an Integrated Pest Management strategy, allowing farmers combine pesticides and traditional synthetic chemical pesticides to tackle agricultural pests and diseases. The company now prides itself in having come up with over 13 bio control agents.
“Under the stewardship of an outstanding management team, we believe that Dudutech has consistently demonstrated its ability to deliver on investment strategies, it now plays a critical role in the supply of insect killing fungi and beneficial predatory insects and mites for farmers globally,” Martin Hudson, CEO Flamingo Horticulture Investments said.
