After graduating with a degree in Food and Agriculture from HAS Green Academy in the Netherlands, Talash Huijpers returned to Kenya on a fish farming mission.
“But I realized that we couldn’t produce enough fish because of the high cost of feed. The most expensive part of feed is protein, so I thought to myself, why grow protein at the end of the chain when there’s a bigger problem in the middle?”
This prompted her to look for alternatives in the animal feed industry, and she settled on insects.
“One night, I found myself clicking on one link and then another, and by 5 a.m., I thought, ‘This is amazing. Why isn’t anyone else doing this?’” she says of her eureka moment.
In 2018, in Red Hill, Limuru, Insectipro, a company that produces animal feed and insect snacks, was established.
Her mission is to show that farming is not just about having a djembe (axe). “There’s a lot of innovation, science and technology that goes into it. Now we’re looking to see how we can incorporate AI into our farming.”
Animal feed
Talash was able to start her project with the first collection of black soldier flies from the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) and a one-acre plot of land she rented.
Insectipro founder Talash Huijpers stands next to different flavours of cricket snacks on July 30, 2024 at Insectipro’s farm in Kiambu County.
Image source: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
“The black soldier fly lays eggs, we incubate the eggs in our hatchery and after five days, they are called 5-day-old larvae. After 10 days, we have mature flies ready to harvest. We first fumigate the flies to kill them and any bacteria that may be on them. Then we dry the insects and they can be used in place of fishmeal and soybean meal in animal feed,” she says.
The fodder sells for Sh130 per kilogramme and Talache says the fodder has quickly become a favourite among farmers.
“The reason this fruit is so popular is because it is available all year round,” she explains. “We have two distribution points in Meru and Bomet, and then we collect the rest from the farm or deliver it.”
Insectipro relies on Nairobi’s waste to feed the flies. “Every day, we collect food waste from Nairobi and grind it into a paste. We then mix it with avocado pulp to make the feed. We currently process over 60 tonnes of waste a day.”
It has over 2000 fly boxes in over 12 greenhouses. In the greenhouse, quality inspectors check to make sure the black soldier flies are harvested in good condition.
The icy brown color on the flies is an indication that they are healthy, she explains. “We harvest 90 percent of the colony and leave the rest to grow and lay eggs, then the process starts over again. Whenever we want new genes, we go back to Icipe.”
However, we do have a small colony of black soldier flies in Nakuru.”
One of the end products of the black soldier fly is its feces, which is a good organic fertilizer.
Market penetration
To tap into the animal feed market, Talash works with agricultural experts who work in the fields, guiding farmers on best farming practices. She is pleased with the positive feedback she gets from farmers who use organic fertilizers, “who say they had fewer pests and diseases or that their corn and sorghum stalks were too thick that season or that their avocados had fewer blemishes.”
Cockroaches
In another part of Limuru, on her father’s farm and far from the black soldier flies, lies Talash’s cricket farm.
“We had to keep them apart for biosecurity reasons. Cockroaches are for human consumption, so we had to keep them in a different place from flies, especially since they consume all the garbage in Nairobi,” the 28-year-old explained. The cockroaches are grown, harvested and microwaved for human consumption.
Black soldier flies in a greenhouse photographed on July 30, 2024 at Insectipro Farm in Kiambu County.
Image source: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
“In 2020, we discovered that insects are very beneficial to humans. So we started raising cockroaches. They start as eggs,” she says, pointing to small white eggs in a box of coconut peat.
“Then after 10 days they hatch. And after four or five weeks, when they are fully grown and the right size, we harvest them before their wings grow. We have to harvest before their wings grow because the wings stick to your mouth and give you a weird mouth feeling.”
To ensure the colony’s survival, Talach makes sure that 20 percent of the cockroaches reach adulthood and lay eggs.
“These insects lay their eggs in the coconut peat, which we scrape off daily. Then the process starts again.
Cockroach Care
“We have prepared food for them and also grow sukuma wiki for them to feed on. The young cockroaches are given water through wet mattresses, as they can easily drown in water. The older cockroaches require lava stones in their eggs so they have a place to rest.
“The cockroaches are placed in climate cells because they need good humidity and warm temperatures. Because Limuru is very cold, it is necessary to have climate cells. In their climate cells, the cockroaches are arranged in rows. Every week we harvest one row and then put in a new row.”
He treats
Just before the crickets are harvested, they are fed coconut to induce diarrhea. “Before they are processed, their intestines must be emptied.”
After the crickets are harvested, they are packed in paper bags and frozen.
Harvested crickets are frozen in a freezer at Insektebro Farm in Kiambu Limuru County on July 30, 2024.
Image source: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
“Because they are cold-blooded, once they are placed in the refrigerator, they hibernate and slowly die. The cockroaches are then microwaved at 120 degrees for 10 minutes to ensure they are crispy and all microorganisms are killed and they are safe for consumption.”
Insectipro also adds different flavors to their cockroaches. They currently offer salt and vinegar, caramel, cinnamon, and barbecue flavors.
“The most popular flavour among expats is salt and vinegar; locally, it’s barbecue, probably because it reminds us of nama choma. We’re working on a kachumbari flavour now. We’ve also worked on cricket powder, which is very popular with gym goers who use it in the same way they use whey protein.”
The cricket snacks come in 20g packs, each priced at Sh100, while the powder costs Sh1,350 for a 500g pack.
mealworms
Talash’s latest exploration is mealworms, which they began farming in December 2023. “We plan to grow them to maturity, dry them and pack them for export,” says Talash, who is enthusiastic and optimistic. “They are used as pet food in Europe.”
Develop thick skin
Insectipro started as a small company with an initial capital of about 200,000 shillings and has grown into a multi-million dollar company, requiring an investment of over 2 million dollars (260 million shillings). Insectipro is still looking for more funding to expand its operations.
Talash says her journey into agripreneurship has required her to be more resilient.
“You can’t build a business in agriculture without being determined. It wasn’t easy being a woman in a male-dominated field. The biggest hurdle I faced was showing people that insects are part of our future, and changing their perceptions.”
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is, “When you’re looking to start your business, you should ask yourself, What problem am I hoping to solve? Is there a ready market? Where are you going to get the raw materials you’ll need?”
Talach stresses the need for a reliable and efficient workforce. “The second person I hired after myself was in charge of human resources. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses and then hire people to help you overcome your weaknesses.”