What is your personal back ground?
I have a degree in Bachelors of Science with Majors in Zoology and thereby entomology is what has landed me in the industry.
Why did you choose to be an agronomist?
I didn’t choose to be an agronomist, my former boss, Nikolai saw the potential in me first and send me to the field to go and do trials with a product I had pioneered for the market in his company. When I did the trials and the product worked, I was thereby told to go and market the product. Being in the field and controlling pests became interesting and I am loving every bit of it that is offering solutions to farmers.
How long have you been working with farmers?
This is my eighth year working with farmers both in flowers, cereals, vegetables and fruits.
Briefly discuss the challenges you go through daily?
First, is the challenge of balancing family and work as my job entitles travelling long distances and spending days and nights away from my family. I have to ensure that they have most of the necessities they will require before I leave. Secondly, I work for a company that is relatively small compared to the so well-known companies and thus sometimes to new clients, it’s not easy to get a first time appointment. I am in charge of the whole country and this poses a challenge of not getting to all my clients on time. The other challenge is competition from competing suppliers with competing molecules as all of us are targeting one market and with several solutions to particular agronomical challenges.
What would you point out as your strongest attribute that has made you succeed?
I would attribute my success to firstly God for enabling me. Secondly to having worked in companies that I have introduced into the market together with products with molecules that are not versely found in my competition suppliers e.g. nucleopolyhydrovirus in my previous employer and now Pyrethrins. The other attribute is the fact that I have been the person on the ground to do trials at the farms and the positive results give me more confidence while presenting the products to new clients. I can also attribute my success to my employer in that he ensures on consistency of the quality of the products that I market without compromise. The other thing is Persistency and not giving up when given a no as an answer by clients.
In your experience, discuss some of the challenges farmers are facing?
Farmers are being faced by the cropping in of ’new´ pests that they have not faced before, for example pests like False Codling Moth that was generally known for fruits and citrus is now a common pest in floriculture. There is also the issue of resistance of pests and diseases to molecules that is caused by the overuse of some molecules due to the control of markets like MPS on the molecules they are supposed to use by banning of what farmers have known to be working for them, e.g. neonicotinoids. In floriculture also, farmers are faced by the increase in production by expansion of growing areas leading to sometimes high supply of flowers and low prices.
How do you rise up to the greatest challenge that your job presents?
Having a bigger area to cover, I plan my work beforehand and book appointments earlier.by knowing where and who my clients are, I also book the appointments in a flowing way i.e. I give a day to clients in a particular location to save time. Briefly discuss entomology, how is it of help to farmers In a nutshell, entomology is the study of insects. The pests that causes damage to the farmers’ crops are insects. It is said, for one to attack their enemy, then they must know their enemies. In this case, farmers knowing their pests and when they attack, how they feed, how they reproduce, insect behaviours and their hibernation ways, they will be able to control them with the right molecules as presented by the agro-input suppliers. What is the role of the agrochemical sector to the development of the farming? Its role is to offer solutions like chemicals for control of pests leading to quality and quantity produce to the farmer. Apart from the chemicals for pests and diseases, and fertilizers, advice to farmers on all round agronomical issues.
How do you see Kapi Ltd contributing to the future of the farming in Kenya?
Kapi Ltd is offering unique products to the farmers, i.e. Pyrethrins that are a control of a broad spectrum of pests and with no recorded resistance. Flower DS 4% EC as a spray for the pests e.g. thrips, aphids, caterpillars, mites, mealybugs, whiteflies etc. and the remnants of pyrethrum flowers referred to as FLOWER DUST as organic matter with a benefit of control to the pests in the soil and media. Our products are ensuring that farmers are not subjected to MRLs issues as they leave no MRLs and thereby used as the final products for use on harvesting blocks of all crops.
Growing up, who was your inspiration?
My late grandmother, She taught me how to wake up early in the morning and go to the shamba to plant and also weeding and harvesting. I remember one time I got so tired and told her that when I grow up I will work hard and make sure if its weeding I will employ people to do it for me. I thank God that I am living this dream.
What decisions have you made in your career that looking back you feel were mistakes and you learned from them?
I take every mistake as a learning experience and I grow through it. The mistake I ever remember is having no personal employee contract that was specific for me but for the company that made me loose benefits.
Describe your ordinary day? Do you have enough personal time?
My ordinary day involves waking up, praying, taking breakfast with family, checking oil and water for the car and heading to visit my clients when not spending away from home. Personal time is very little but I dedicate my Saturdays to myself like visiting salon and nail parlor or watching movies. Sundays are for worship and family
What legacy do you want to leave behind in the agricultural sector?
It is an industry populated by 95% male and I would like to be remembered as a female agronomist that offered unique molecules to the industry that were of quality in consistency.
Give your final comments
If I was to be young again and be asked to choose what to become in life, I would shout Agronomist as I enjoy and love what I do, seeing a farmer happy.