Rigu and his team add a special liquid nutrient mix that is developed in Kenya and made from local ingredients and imported algae. Each mix is made custom for specific applications.
Rigu, an experienced agricultural business expert, has a long history with rice husks. He’s turned rice husks into bricks, mosquito coils and clean coal. This was before meeting local farmers who burnt their waste in small kilns traditionally used by the Chinese.
Rigu assembled a team of experts in chemistry, botany and engineering and developed a kiln using technology from MIT. They increased its size dramatically, and developed the process to turn discarded husks and other agricultural waste into a powerful base for organic fertilisers.
The residue from the kiln, which is ready within a few hours, provides potassium. The proprietary nutrient mix supplies phosphate, nitrogen and other micronutrients. Together, these chemicals make up fertiliser.
Rigu and his team originally tried to let farmers create their own fertilisers on site, but quality control became a complex issue that often resulted in ineffective fertiliser.
In the rice fields of Mwea, where the Safi Organics team are based, paddies stretch across the horizon to Mount Kenya. Safi (which means ‘clean’) buys waste materials from farmers and mills here and across the country to create a range of custom fertilisers. Safi makes fertilisers for planting (more phosphor), topping (more nitrogen) and a special acidic mix for tea plantations.
