STOPTON HOLDINGS FIND NICHE IN ORGANIC FERTILISERS
Seeing that there is a need in the market, one company identified the gap to produce fertilisers under the brand name Grow Fast Organic. This followed from the realisation that recently farmers have been warming up to the use of organic fertilisers that they said rely on natural principles like biodiversity and composting in order to produce health abundant food.
The company manufactures and distributes yield enhancers, pesticides and liquid fertilisers in one litre, five litres and 25 litres. The organic fertilisers enhance crop yield and soil properties while restraining pests and diseases, it has been discovered. They are also said to improve soil structure, increase soil water retention abilities and stimulate healthy root development.
Former accountant Lesego Elijah told Business Monitor her farm upbringing guided her decision to come up with solutions for local farmers. She explained that the journey started in 2016 when she and her partners registered a company, Stopton Holdings, which produces organic fertilisers.
“We then had to wait for a whole year to get manufacturing licences from the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources,” she told Business Monitor.
She remembers how setting up the business was not easy. However, they persevered as the team managed to create their mark and penetrate the local market through their products. Elijah said unlike their competitors, their products are organic and effective, noting that their liquid fertilisers increase product fertility, enhance soil nutrient while their pesticides kill pests. “I would say the response was very promising as the past year was our first farming season,” she added. Their clientele includes agricultural shops that buy to re-sell as well as individuals and farmers. They also export some to large scale farmers in South Africa. Elijah added that they source their raw materials from local farmers as a way of empowering them. “Grow Fast Organic is an environmentally friendly organic bio-fertiliser that powerfully restores the fertility of the soil naturally. It is a unique blend of animal waste extracts including biological inoculants and trace elements,” she said.
For future prospects, Elijah said they want to end the use of the chemicals and encourage local farmers to start using organic fertilisers. “Organic fertilisers are good for the plants and for the soil.
I urge farmers to consider using them as they are effective and guaranteed almost 100% of the products.
Organically produced food products have a longer shelf life than conventionally produced crops,” she said. Currently, the company employs seven people and the business is self-funded.