To support our growers in the rest of East Africa, Dudutech has appointed Festus Kilee as Senior Technical Lead, Tanzania and Uganda. Festus will drive engagement with customers and allow Dudutech to better serve them.
Festus Kilee and Livingstone Chepukel (Dudutech Senior Technical Leads) inspecting plants at Korfovouni, Tanzania.
Festus brings considerable experience to his new role having spent 3 years in Ethiopia serving Sher Afriflora, the world’s biggest flower farm, after working in IPM for cut flowers and vegetables in Kenya.
He will regularly visit Tanzania and Uganda to ensure continuous engagement with growers, whose main focus areas are cut flowers, avocados, and macadamias. Commenting on pests and diseases, Festus said, “Avocado’s major challenges in Tanzania are: Phytophthora root-rot, Damping-off disease, False codling moth (FCM), Fruitflies, Vine weevils. Major pests for cut flowers in the area are Thrips and spider mites.”
To help tackle these challenges, Dudutech has registered a range of products in each country. Looking at the novel challenges, Festus said, “we are making every possible effort to ensure more products are registered in these regions for a wider range of solutions to the growers.”
Tanzania:
- PHYTOTECH – predatory mites for RSM
- BEAUVITECH – Insect-killing fungi for Thrips and Whiteflies
- MYTECH – Nematode-killing fungi for Plant Parasitic Nematodes
- LECATECH – Insect-killing fungi for Thrips and Whiteflies
- TRICHOTECH – Beneficial soil fungus for soil health
Uganda:
- PHYTOTECH – predatory mites for RSM
- MYTECH – Nematode-killing fungi for Plant Parasitic Nematodes
- TRICHOTECH – Beneficial soil fungus for soil health
According to Festus, “there is no doubt IPM is the future in farming, the growers are eager to know which solutions we can offer in a cost-effective and sustainable way.” He went on to say, the agricultural landscape in Tanzania and Uganda are very similar to Kenya, with growers open to new technologies.”