Toothpick Company is now looking beyond Kenya to other parts of Africa, with plans to expand into Uganda, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria.
By Daniel Otieno, Kakamega
Smallholder farmers in Western Kenya have for a long time struggled with a persistent and devastating challenge: the invasive Striga weed, also known as witch-weed.
This persistent threat, compounded by poor soil fertility and erratic weather conditions due to climate change, has left farmers trapped in a cycle of low yields and food insecurity.
The weed (Kayongo), with purple flowers has caused untold damage to cereal crops such as maize, millet, and sorghum, among other cereal crops in the region.
The weed attaches itself to the root of the crop, it sucks the nutrients, which prevents the plant from making its own food through photosynthesis and eventually dies.
However, a groundbreaking social business, Toothpick Company Limited, is offering a ray of hope. With its innovative bio-herbicide, the company is not only fighting Striga but is also transforming the livelihoods of farmers, boosting crop production and paving the way for a more food-secure future in Western and Nyanza regions respectively.
According to Dorcas Kemboi, the firm’s Managing Director, Toothpick Company was founded with a singular vision: to address the challenges smallholder farmers face due to Striga.
Ms Kemboi said that in Western region alone, the weed had affected at least 340,000 hectares of land, causing an estimated loss of Sh100 million annually, adding that, in Sub-Saharan Africa, it results in losses of up to 10 billion US dollars annually.
“After extensive scientific research, we discovered that chemical methods of controlling Striga, were either too expensive, too harmful to the environment, ineffective and do not address the issue of striga seed bank in the soil,” said Ms Kemboi, “adding, “Driven by innovation and a commitment to sustainable agricultural practices, the company set out to develop a bio-control solution, one that would both restore crop yield and safeguard the environment,”.
The result was Kichawi Kill, a revolutionary bio-herbicide made from naturally occurring fungus that specifically targets Striga weed while leaving crops unharmed.
“Unlike the conventional pesticides, Kichawi Kill is environmentally friendly and poses no risk to human health,” said Kemboi. “Classified under the World Health Organization (WHO’s) class U, the product is considered safe for farmers, consumers and the environment,”
It has become a game-changer for maize farmers, offering them a solution that increases crop yields by an impressive 50-90 per cent, depending on the severity of the infestation.
One farmer who has witnessed the transformative impact of Kichawi Kill is Catherine Naliaka Wanjala from Butere Sub-County in Kakamega County.
Like many of her fellow farmers, Ms Naliaka struggled with maize crops that grew stunted, often stopping at knee height, while her field was overrun with the purple flowers of Striga.
For years, she faced poor harvests and could barely produce enough to feed her three children. “The Striga weed was draining the life out of my crops,” she recalls. “I couldn’t produce enough to feed my family, and my children missed school because we could not afford to buy food consistently.”
Then, she began using Kichawi Kill. The results were nothing short of extraordinary. By coating her maize seeds with the fungal bio-herbicide, she was able to target the Striga while protecting her crops.
Her maize production skyrocketed by an incredible 67.5 per cent, reaching 270 kilograms per harvest.
This increase in yield has not only ensured that her family is well-fed but has also allowed her children to return to school full-time. “I’m able to provide for my family and live well with them,” said Ms Naliaka, with a smile on her face.
Toothpick Company’s commitment to farmers like Naliaka is rooted in its core values: innovation, customer care, environmental stewardship, accountability, and collaboration.
The company’s efforts extend beyond providing bio-herbicides; it also focuses on educating and empowering local farmers with the knowledge and skills to adopt to sustainable agricultural practices.
Through partnerships with other stakeholders, Toothpick Company organizes field days and trade fairs, where farmers can share experiences and learn about new technologies and practices that can enhance their productivity.
The company is closely working with the Cereal Growers Association (CGA) and Farm to Market Alliance in information sharing so that no farmer is left behind.
The company’s success has not gone unnoticed. Toothpick Company is now looking beyond Kenya to other parts of Africa, with plans to expand into Uganda, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria.
According to Ms Kemboi, the Managing Director, “We have already had discussions with stakeholders in Uganda, and we’ve been conducting trials during the short rains to assess the product’s effectiveness there. We have a dedicated team of experts working in each of these countries to navigate the regulatory processes and ensure that Kichawi Kill can reach farmers in need.”
“Despite the challenges of navigating bureaucratic hurdles in different countries, Toothpick Company remains steadfast in its mission to bring sustainable, eco-friendly solutions to smallholder farmers across the continent,” said Kemboi.
She went on: “The goal is to reach out to farmers across sub-Saharan Africa who’s farms are infested by Striga by providing the solution so as to achieve better crop yields, improve food security, and rise out of poverty,”
