NAIROBI, KENYA: Leading agro input company Elgon Kenya has been awarded the 2017-2018 Superbrands East Africa status becoming the first agro input company in the region, in a development that demonstrates the company’s growing commitment to transforming lives and farms through people oriented innovations.
The awarding of the status, which is a culmination of a rigorous selection process by an independent research and council, offers vital insights into how the company has shaped the Elgon Kenya brand from humble beginnings over 100 years ago in Redhill Kiambu to the powerful and trusted household name it has become today.
The award, according to the judges, has been informed by Elgon Kenya’s unwavering commitment to provide solutions that addresses the concerns of farmers while introducing an array of services that have been geared towards improving the agricultural prospects and fostering the country’s economic growth.
In what lays credence to the fact that Elgon Kenya is a company of many firsts, the company has over the years brought to the market transformative innovations that have sprouted hopes in farms, put smiles at dinner tables and increased earnings for millions of smallholder farmers.
Through its irrigation department, the company became the first to introduce to the market the low cost irrigation kits dubbed Kadogo dripk kits that have become an instant hit among smallholder farmers thanks to guaranteeing year round food production at a time when changes in weather have taken a toll on farms.
The Elgon Kinga mimea greenhouse polythene sheets, another first from Elgon Kenya has been introduced with smallholder farmers in mind. The sheets are customized to farmers’ liking and costs a fraction of the conventional greenhouses. They are guided by the fact that the essence of the greenhouse is in sheeting materials not in the metal structure. Kinga Mimea is meant to reach as many smallholder farmers as possible, who are unable to afford the prohibitive cost of conventional greenhouses.
The National Farmers Awards Scheme, a collaborative initiative between Elgon Kenya and the Ministry of Agriculture has been a landmark achievement of the company. The fete which was started five years ago to reward the very best in the agricultural sector while returning dignity to the soils, has grown in participation, stature and impact, becoming the event to watch in the farming calendar. It has created soil celebrities who have inspired a new wave of farming revolution across the country, encouraging more into farming, at a time when ballooning population is putting pressure on food.
The farmers clinics, now in their fourth edition have also been a brainchild of Elgon Kenya and have offered a much needed platform for farmers and experts to meet under one roof and address the most pressing challenges of the sector, at a time when information has become limited owning to dwindling numbers of government extension officers. Farmers have expressed insatiable appetite for these clinics coming from every corner of the country to participate.
And at a time when old and emerging threats are overwhelming majority of farmers, Elgon Kenya has come up with an information center fully equipped with trained agronomists who are on call to answer any queries and concerns from farmers from any part of the country. The center is complemented by a 24/7 online portal that also ensures farmers can get vital farming advice at the click of a button while accessing key agricultural inputs at the comfort of their farms.
“Attaining the Super brands status is a major milestone for us as a company, and it is equally heartwarming to know that we are the first in our sector to receive such an honour.
It reaffirms our commitment to being a Kenyan company for all Kenyans, working each day to provide sustainable solutions that addresses the concerns of our farmers and customers. We want to thank all our members of staff and our formidable partners for always working with us in making sure we are best at what we do,” said Bimal Kantaria, Elgon Kenya Director.
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