This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
Published on August 26, 2019, a remarkable story of innovation and entrepreneurship emerged from Kenya's agricultural sector. Wachira Mwangi and Samuel Mbugua, childhood best friends and University of Nairobi-trained biochemists, discovered a technique that would change their lives and potentially transform the farming industry.
After a series of unfulfilling jobs and failed businesses, the duo decided to try their hand at rearing pigs. However, the venture proved too expensive, and they were left searching for a more cost-effective solution. It was then that Mbugua suggested they explore hydroponics, a method of growing crops without the use of soil.
Hydroponics is a process that avoids soil to speed up growth while preventing plant diseases. According to Mbugua, 'What grows normally on soil for 21 days can take only six days if grown using the hydroponics technology.'
The pair began researching and experimenting with hydroponics, eventually starting a business in July 2018 with an initial capital of Sh50,000. They used the funds to fence a quarter-acre plot belonging to Mbugua's parents, purchased 15 piglets, and acquired materials to set up the necessary structures and barley seeds.
With the pilot project yielding impressive results, farmers began to take notice, and the duo started receiving requests for training on how to grow hydroponic fodder. The technology proved particularly beneficial for livestock farmers with limited space, time, and resources, as it requires only 45 cubic meters of space.
As Mbugua explained, 'We spread the barley seeds evenly on aluminium trays and leave them to sprout, only watering them three times a day. In six days, you will have a network of roots and shoots and a mat of barley grass which is now ready for consumption by livestock.'
