Hyacinth No longer the Dreaded Weed but a Business Opportunity

There’s a high demand for the aquatic weed, which is used as raw material in the manufacture of organic fertilizers for countries with desert like conditions.

Mr. Simon Mwaura, a scientist based in Murang’a and the CEO of Hydaquip Kenya has discovered a niche that could ignite the use of the ravaging hyacinth in Lake Victoria. He said that the dreaded weed is an important component in making fertilizer which can be most suitable in the arid and semi-arid areas.

The fertilizer is suited for dry conditions as it has the capacity to hold water for long and is very effective with drip irrigation.

The export of hyacinth if sustained will be a solution to the fishermen among other users of Lake Victoria. A kilo of the processed raw materials from weeds is currently going for 225 Kenyan Shillings, which is more than what the farmers get from tea and coffee said Mr. Mwaura in an interview.

Speaking in Maragua on Tuesday, where he demonstrated how to make the organic fertilizer using the weeds, Mr. Mwaura said he has secured a contract with United Arabs Emirate (UAE) to supply organic materials. Hyacinth and reed have posed a big challenge in some water bodies in Kenya including Lake Victoria. Locals can take advantage of the plants to generate revenue instead of destroying them.

The organic material from aquatic weeds is mixed with other materials including maize cobs, rice and coffee husks, banana stalks and coffee pulp to make the fertilizer. This industry is estimated at Ksh2.5 billion annually, Mr. Mwaura said.

The water hyacinth, that beautiful green floating weed with pink flowers, is the bane of the lacustrine communities that derive their livelihood from Lake Victoria. From hampering fishing activities to crippling water transport, the weed is seen as the biggest problem besetting these communities.

A harvester machine has been bought to harvest the hyacinth in the affected areas; Lake Victoria, Homa Bay, Migori, Siaya and Busia. The bought machine can harvest up to 150 tons of hyacinth a day.

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Written by Amina Martha.