Archive for 2017

Flamingo commits $2.4million investment to Dudutech expansion

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Flamingo Horticulture Investments (FHI Ltd), a Sun Capital Europe portfolio organisation, announced that they will make a further investment of USD 2.4Million in subsidiary business Dudutech, Africa’s leading Biological Pesticide Manufacturer.

Dudutech a is high growth biotechnology business in operation since 2001 that plays a critical role in allowing their many international and Kenyan customers and the Flamingo Group to farm sustainably and adhere to farming and produce regulations across the globe.

To provide farmers with sustainable solutions, Dudutech’s team of over 250 technicians, masters and doctorate level scientists manufacture insect-killing fungi and beneficial predatory insects and mites, which are used as part of an Integrated Pest Management strategy, where farmers combine pesticides and traditional synthetic chemical pesticides to tackle agricultural pests and diseases.

Dudutech will direct the additional funding towards expansion of production facilities at the biofactory site in Naivasha, Kenya, including an additional 4ha of greenhouses and an insectary. The project is aimed at increasing production capabilities to provide additional beneficial predatory insects availability to meet growth in demand for biologicals and satisfy the needs of major growers in Africa, Europe and the Americas.

Thomas Mason, Managing Director Dudutech says:

We are incredibly excited to see Flamingo Horticulture Investments backing Dudutech. The new investment will be used to further expand the company’s manufacturing capacity. Alongside this investment Dudutech will be recruiting into its management team, broadening its product range and increasing the scope of its international operations.

This investment will allow us to grow our services to our customers in Africa, Europe and the Americas and ensure availability of our beneficial predatory insects, especially during peak seasons, where demand has outstripped supply in the past.

Martin Hudson, CEO Flamingo Horticulture Investments comments:

Under the stewardship of an outstanding management team, we believe that Dudutech has consistently demonstrated its ability to deliver on investment strategies, it now plays a critical role in the supply of insect killing fungi and beneficial predatory insects and mites for farmers globally.

ABIM 2017: The Biggest Biocontrols Gathering – Ever

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Photo: David Cary, IBMA Executive Director said “We are constantly encouraged by the growth in visitor numbers this is a reflection of the Steering Committee’s continuing commitment to promoting a unique event showcasing innovation, excellence and professionalism in the industry.”

Dudutech was at the biggest gathering of the biocontrol industry ever, held in October this year. Tom Mason (Dudutech MD) and Barnaba Rotich (Dudutech Commercial Manager) were among the record-breaking delegation of 1050 people from over 500 companies at the 12th Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM) held in Basel, Switzerland.

Recent growth in the biocontrols industry correlates to strong growth in organic farming and. According to Lucius Tamm from Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL), organic farming, despite having boomed by 455% in 17 years from 11 million ha to 50 million ha, provides a smaller market than conventional agriculture. This information hints at the optimism for the future of the industry as biocontrols move closer towards improving mainstream awareness and acceptability.

ABIM 2017 was also a platform for innovation, information and unprecedented face-to-face networking opportunities. The meeting provided an interactive audience of the world’s leading biological technology producers to 69 individual exhibitions and speeches from industry leaders. Tom Mason said the gathering provided a space for “cross pollination of ideas, commercial opportunities and alliances … in a single forum in Basel, Switzerland.”

Tom Mason went on to say, “it’s also an opportunity for members of the International Biological Manufacturers Association (IBMA) to meet and agree upon how this industry association will represent their voice with regulators and the broader industry. Since the formation of the parent association Bio Protection Global (BPG) in 2014 the board of BPG also congregates to discuss the broader global industry challenges and opportunities. As 2018 president of Bio Protection Global I am trying to drive the success of BPG in a similar fashion to the chemical industry association Crop Life International and we hope to make good progress during the course of 2018, alongside Board Chair Rick Melnick the Brand Manager for Vlaent Bioscienes.”

Dudutech enters distribution partnership with Elgon Kenya

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Photo: Tom Mason (MD – Dudutech), Mr Baiju Kantaria (MD – Elgon Kenya Ltd) and Mr Bimal Kantaria (MD – Elgon Kenya Ltd) during the signing of the distribution partnership.

On the 11th October 2017, Dudutech partnered with Elgon Kenya as distributors of our bio-control products. Elgon Kenya controls a countrywide network of stockists and agrovets making it easier to get the products to farmers across the country. Their team of agronomists spread across the country’s major food producing zones to assist farmers on the ground. A dedicated sales force with extensive technical and sales experience has been deployed to help customers find the best products to meet their specific needs.

The distribution partnership provides Kenyan growers with additional access to a range of our leading products, including:

  • BEAUVITECH®
  • LECATECH®
  • TRICHOTECH®
  • MYTECH®
  • NEMATECH S® SP
  • PHYTOTECH®
  • AMBLYTECH®
  • HYPOTECH®

Further reading: http://www.nation.co.ke/business/seedsofgold/Briefs-on-agricultural-developments-around-the-country/2301238-4138568-olygamz/index.html

Dudutech awarded funding for beans research from Agri-Tech Catalyst Fund Round 5

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Project title: Improving consistency of yields and quality of large-scale and smallholder bean production in Kenya by precision management of soil, water and pathogens

The fresh vegetable industry forms a vital part of Kenya’s economy. Kenyan growers export around 60,000 tonnes of fine and runner beans each year, worth £385M at retail sales value, with the UK receiving around 50% of the supply. A consortium made up of Flamingo Horticulture – Dudutech Division, Provenance Partners Ltd (UK), Vegpro Ltd (Kenya), NIAB EMR (UK) and WeatherQuest Ltd (UK) received funding for 3 years as part of the UK’s Agri-Tech Catalyst scheme. The project will deliver new science, technology, knowledge and training to accelerate sustainable intensification of large- and small-scale bean production in Kenya. Work on the project, which started in October 2016 and is to be completed by September 2019, focusses on:

  1. Developing and adapting irrigation infrastructure, scheduling tools and weather probability forecasting to improve soil water management, yields and consistency of quality;
  2. Quantifying the effects of soil water availability and continuous cropping on the incidence and severity of soil pathogens targeting bean crops;
  3. Identifying the effects of novel biocontrol agents on the soil/rhizosphere microbiome to guide the optimum combination of treatments;
  4. Adopting integrated biocontrol to improve yields, quality and shelf-life;
  5. Promoting and disseminating the benefits of precision irrigation and biocontrol via outgrower workshops led by Vegpro and Dudutech;
  6. Assessing the economic and social impacts of project outputs and developing and implementing extension services to outgrowers.

At the end of this project, the consortium expect to deliver a 12% increase in average yield and a 20% reduction in wasted crop, in order to increase food and job security and enhance soil management skills among Kenyan growers.

2017 Thrips seminar by Dudutech & Dow Agrosciences

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This is a fantastic opportunity for growers to gain excellent insight and knowledge on Thrips management.

With main speaker, Arturo Goldarazena, sharing his knowledge from working with mites and insects since the 90’s.

For more information about the event – follow the event on our Facebook page

Or contact John Ogechah: Mobile:  +254 (0) 722509746 or john.ogechah@dudutech.com

 

Dudutech and Dow Agrosciences launch thrips training seminar!

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Dudutech and Dow Agrosciences are pleased to invite all growers for a one-day conference titled “New perspectives in Thrips Management” to be held as follows;
March 30th ,2017 –Enashipai Resort-Naivasha
March 31st ,2017 –Kongoni Camp-Nanyuki
The main speaker will be Arturo Golderazana ,a Thrips specialist from the Earth and Life Institute- Université Catholique de Louvain(Belgium).
Follow the event on facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/events/264016480703431

Incredible maize growth with Tricotech® WP

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Great to the see #impact that #tricotech has on #maize – TRICHOTECH ® WP contains spores of Trichoderma asperellum an antagonistic fungus that is used globally for control of soil borne fungal diseases including Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., Sclerotinia spp., and Pythium spp. In addition, this strain is known to have the ability to increase plant growth vigour.

Drip application
Apply 125g of TRICHOTECH ® WP per hectare. Pour in 125g of Trichotech into 100 litres of water and mix thoroughly. Apply the solution through the fertigation drip system using adequate water volume. Agitation of the mixture should continue throughout the application period to ensure uniform distribution of the TRICHOTECH ® WP.

Drench application
Prepare a solution of TRICHOTECH ® WP at the rate of 125g/ha in adequate water to cover the target area. Pour into a watering can or sprayer / applicator and apply evenly onto the target area. Irrigate the area treated with TRICHOTECH ® WP after application.

https://www.dudutech.com/products/trichotech/

 

December Quarterly Newsletter – Wishing you a happy festive season

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Season’s Greetings from the Dudutech Team.

2016 was an exciting year for Dudutech. New developments, a growing team with new members and a great positive spirit all around.

Dudutech Europe

Dudutech opened its Netherlands office in April 2016. We are located on Jupiter 185, Honselersdijk. We proudly presented Dudutech Europe at this year’s IFTF, Vijfhuizen Trade Show.

Our theme’s this year at the show were products SLUGTECH (Phasmarhabditis Hermaphrodita) a beneficial nematode for control of slugs and
NEMATECH S (Steinernema Feltiae) a beneficial nematode for the control of thrips pupa and for the larval stage of the Sciarid fly.Our team demonstrated the key factors in using our products and discussed how we can support you with our Integrated Pest Management solutions.

Guest Lecturers

Covering East Africa, the Dudutech Training team had a successful year.

We invited Australian “Plant Health and Wealth” expert, Graeme Sait to collaborate with Dudutech to host a conference and training day at the Simba Lodge in Naivasha. Graeme covered the following key areas: The Marvels of Organic Matter, The Seven Principles of Productivity, The bounty of balance, Seven Life Changing Strategies, Managing Microbes, Lessons from the leaf, and Programming for profit. Guests left the day rich with knowledge and excited to start implementing Graeme’s key success points.

Vermicomposting Training

On December 5th Dudutech carried out a Vermicomposting training for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in western Kenya. This training brought together 139 participants lead by our Dudutech trainer George Mala. The training consisted of lectures on compositing, the right materials, environmental conditions, worm type, different set-ups, vermicompost value, application rates and followed by practical training in the field with the host farmers. We received reports back that there is great amounts of enthusiasm around composting from the farmers in this area.

Partners

In August we partnered with Kenya Markets Trust and KALRO (Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organisation) to launch our BioPesticide products for small-scale farmers in Kenya. This event was aimed to create National awareness on BioPesticides for Improved Food Productivity, Safety and Security. We invited over 300 small-scale farmers from the Meru and Kirinyaga counties to discuss their learnings from the pilot projects Dudutech held on their farms. Dudutech also shared innovative ways of rolling out the same technology and information to more farmers countrywide. It was a pleasure to have various stakeholders from the Ministry of Agriculture, County Officials, Researchers, Producers, Distributors, Non-Governmental Associations, and representatives from Academia present as guests and speaking at this event. We were honored to have KALRO’s Dr. Lusike as our key note speaker and the representative who opened the ceremony.

Training in Zimbabwe

Our team has just completed a training in Zimbabwe, with our Distributor Philip Weller reporting back that it was “great to see that the guests got a better understanding of IPM. The growers really enjoyed the NEMguard presentation and how effective it is with Dudutech Products. In all, a positive day with growers really appreciating the effort Dudutech made”

Follow the ladybird

Follow our social platforms and stay tuned for exciting new developments in 2017. We thank you, our esteemed client, for your continuous support and business this year and we look forward to an even better working relationship with you in 2017.