There is a need to engage the farmers on the importance of using the organic fertilizer generated from the digestates of black soldier fly larvae(Hermetia illucens) in crop production.

This was the statement of Uasin Gishu County Chief Officer for Trade and Industrialization Geoffrey Tanui on Thursday when he led a delegation from Nyeri County Department of PSM and solid waste management on a benchmark to Fair and Sustainable Black Soldier Insect Farm in Annex.

Tanui mentioned that farmers can turn their product wastes into useful manure by adopting and rearing the black soldier fly on their farms.

The team which is in the county to pick best practices on solid waste management were impressed by how the insect farm has been able to consume and turn wastes from among other markets, the Kimumu Bahati wholesale market into useful manure.

According to Everlyn Nekesa the manager of Fair and Sustainable Black Soldier Insect Farm, Black soldier fly larvae have the very useful capacity of being able to rapidly degrade organic biowaste that is produced by markets, food industries and restaurants into a valuable source of protein, prized by fish, poultry and pig farmers.

“The process is much faster than traditional composting methods like burying food scraps or using large piles of manure and leaves that take months to turn into usable soil,” said Nekesa.

The organic fertilizers she said can be used in crop production, substituting for imported mineral fertilizers.

Directors Isaac Lagat (Trade) and Margaret Aiyabei (Tourism) formed part of the delegation.