MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name

Neo-Hen Farms Company.

One-line solution summary.

Neo-Hen farms focuses on hydroponics fodder solutions and black soldier farming to help farmers cut down feeding cost by 50% using ecofriendly solutions for profit maximization.

Elevator pitch

What is your solution?

Neo-Hen farms solution is insects and hydroponic fodder solutions. Neo-Hen farms raises black soldier flies to produce alternative protein sources for the feed industry using a low-tech, circular production process. This process means that farmers can use less land and grow more than with soy beans and fishmeal. These flies also feed on food waste from the community, thus upcycling organic waste. The cost of producing 1kg is $ 0.2 compared to conventional feeds which costs $ 0.7 hence profit maximization to farmers.

In hydroponics fodder solutions, the cost of producing 1kg of hydroponics fodder is $0.1 compared to conventional feeds hence cutting the cost of feeding tremendously. The fodder only takes 7 days to grow, requires little water and its ideal in both arid and semi-arid areas, its soilless, ensures climate control ,no weeds, less labor intensive, easily digestible and high productivity.

when you plant 1kg of barley it gives 10kgs more providing a cheaper alternative for feeding poultry and livestock hence cutting the feeding cost tremendously.

What specific problem are you trying to solve?

Feeding livestock and poultry in Kenya and East African countries takes up-to 70% of the total investments sometimes leading to losses to farmers in their ventures.

This is as a result of (DCP) Digestible crude protein which is an ingredient used in feed preparation which is very expensive in these countries.

Neo-Hen farms has come up with innovations of cutting down the cost of feeding livestock and poultry by over 50% using Hydroponics fodder solutions and Black soldier flies farming.

Hydroponics fodder farming is soilless farming where barley seeds are exposed to the 3 conditions of germination in regulated temperature in greenhouse and they sprout within a period of 3-7 days and they are ready to feed the flock. By harvesting the protein content will be at 25%-30%.

Black soldier fly farming is insect farming ,the farm use black soldier flies due to their rapid production cycle and high concentration of proteins. It goes through breeding/hatching phase then production finally its drying and processing then distributed for further processing.

When they are ready to be harvested, the larvae consists of 40% to 65% protein and other essential nutrients.

The innovation is targeting 60% of Kenyans in animal agriculture and plans to enter in the east African countries in the long run.

The farm trains and installs hydroponics fodder systems and black soldier flies systems affordably to farmers.it has reached over 2000 farmers in Kenya.

Who does your solution serve? In what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The innovation targets 60% of Kenyans who are in animal agriculture and agricultural value chain. These are both the poultry and the livestock keepers. The farm also targets to enter east African countries in the long run to access a wide market range.

The current prices of livestock and poultry feeds is at $0.7 and the innovation is cutting down this cost by over 50% using hydroponics fodder solutions and black soldier farming.

The cost of commercial feeds has made farmers run at a loss leading to decline in production of quality organic animal protein in the country.

Neo-Hen farms is promoting organic animal agriculture and also reducing garbage in many town centers in Kenya through insect farming.

What steps have you taken to understand the needs of the population you want to serve?

Neo-Hen farms is a commercial poultry farm which works with a network of more than 5000 farmers in Kenya, the farm was not exceptional to the high cost of commercial feeds thereby it came up with innovations of black soldier fly and hydroponics fodder farming to cut down the cost to maximize on profit.

The farm has also trained over 2000 farmers on hydroponics fodder farming and black soldier fly farming which has helped them cut down on the cost of feeding flock tremendously.

It has also installed over 200 hydroponics fodder systems and over 100 black soldier fly systems to different farmers majority in western Kenya.

The farm has also volunteered and offered its demo farm to members to come and learn for free which has greatly increased organic animal protein farming.

Which aspects of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Improving financial and economic opportunities for all (Economic Prosperity)

Our solution's stage of development:

Growth: An organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in at least one community, which is poised for further growth

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution—in other words, what have you accomplished to date?

Neo-Hen farms products were first tested in one of our farms in western Kenya Bungoma county, we then sold the idea to farmers who were also on the burden of high costed commercial feed and then it was released to market.

The farm has a capacity of producing 1tonne of hydroponics fodder and 1.5 tons of black soldier flies per week which is sold to farmers affordably at $0.3 and $0.5 respectively.

the farm has also trained over 2000 farmers and installed systems to some of them.

Where our solution team is headquartered or located:

Bungoma, Kenya

Team Lead:

LENNSON ITHAU MUMO