Viva local organic fertilizer
Pauline Dikuelo | Tuesday January 24, 2023 06:00
The pair, biologist Mmakwena Moesi and software engineer, Amogelang Masi decided to come up with organic bio-fertilisers that would assist local farmers to get produce that is appealing to consumers. The two business partners through their company, Viva Organica, manufacture fertilisers using organic waste to support the resilience of farming communities in growing organic and nutrient dense crops to withstand recurring drought seasons, heat waves and erratic rainfall in Botswana. They currently have products in the market like Vermogrow and Bio Brew, a granular and liquid organic fertiliser.
Vermogrow is a granular fertiliser that offers good nutrition and crucial soil microbes. It can be used as a basal and top dressing for vegetables, ornamental plants, trees and lawn. On the other hand, the Bio Brew is an organic liquid fertiliser that gives plants a quick boost and immunity to withstand pests and diseases. In an interview with MonitorBusiness, Moesi said even though they have been working on their idea since 2016, their business only kicked off in 2020 when they secured a P100,000 funding from the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture. “The first few years after starting the business were rocky, we had to use our own money to fund our business and sometimes we used the sales revenue. The Youth Development Fund came in handy as we managed to build the infrastructure that we are using for production,” she said.
Moesi added that they started by giving their first products to local farmers for free and were impressed with the results as they got more foliage and fruits. Since then, they have grown to serve even bigger commercial farmers in Botswana and are looking to keep growing to reach even more people to help them grow food. They are also building strong collaborations with would-be competitors to create more products and services that will help local farmers. “It cannot be overstated how good it feels to go from an idea to having an actual product that helps people achieve a worthy goal,” she said. However, Moesi noted that they have encountered some teething problems, the biggest being the process of acquiring the agrochemical testing and licencing. This she said impacts their business functions such as quality assurance and product rollout. “In the end all this is a dream we had to create change in our local market and create superior products that our farmers can use. We are always eager to build collaborations with people from even the most unlikely sectors like tech and education,” she said.
Their efforts to create solutions for farming in Botswana have been recognised as they were fortunate to be selected as winners for the African Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge competition. They are currently in the middle of the next round of funding with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) in conjunction with the Global Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA). The consortium has agreed to award them $100,000 (P1.3 million) to expand their operations and take their business to the next level. They will also get 12 month accelerator programme to help them grow their business, deepen their impact and create decent jobs.