Farmers turn to black soldier flies for cheaper fertilizer, feed

At Theodosie Mukamunana’s home in Nyarubuye Village, Kamonyi District, vegetable peelings and leftover food no longer end up in the rubbish pit. Instead, the kitchen waste is fed to black soldier fly larvae, tiny insects that are helping her cut the cost of livestock feed while producing organic fertilizer that has boosted her crop yields. ALSO READ: Black soldier flies ‘prove to lower cost of livestock feed’ The transformation began six months ago when she was trained on how to rear black soldier flies as part of an initiative that has now culminated in the launch of the country’s first Black Soldier Fly Knowledge and Learning Centre in Kamonyi. The training was provided by Maggot Farm Production in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Kamonyi District. The centre is expected to train farmers, entrepreneurs, extension officers and researchers to produce insect-based livestock feed and organic fertilizer at a time when feed costs continue to rise. ALSO READ: Kigali’s organic waste problem could be solved by black soldier flies “I have known about black soldier flies for about six months,” Mukamunana said. “They trained us and later gave us starter larvae so that we could begin rearing them ourselves.” ‘Not even waste goes to waste’ The larvae consume the waste and become protein-rich feed for chickens and pigs. Some are left to mature into flies that lay eggs, producing another generation of larvae, while the residue left behind is processed into organic fertilizer. “Nothing goes to waste,” Mukamunana said. “Food waste that we used to throw away no longer goes to waste. We now feed it to the larvae, which later become flies. Those flies lay eggs that hatch into more larvae, creating a continuous cycle.” For Mukamunana, the greatest benefit has been on the crop side. “Previously, I used ordinary household compost or cow manure,” she said. “However, this fertiliser works almost like a chemical fertiliser. You apply it and the crops grow vigorously and much faster.” A few kilometres away from Mukamunana’s home, Celestin Minani, a maize and soybean farmer, has witnessed similar results. His farm sits on poor red soil that had long produced modest harvests. Since adopting the organic fertiliser last year, he said production has changed. “My land consists mainly of poor red soil that is not very fertile,” Minani said. “After I started using this black soldier fly as fertilizer, my yields increased by almost four times. I used to harvest only one cob of maize per plant, but now I harvest around three large, healthy cobs.” ALSO READ: From maggots to money: Pioneer on the benefits of black soldier fly farming Although he no longer rears the insects because of other commitments, he still supplies household organic waste to Maggot Farm in exchange for fertiliser. “The main challenge today is that there is not enough fertiliser for every farmer,” he said. “If production increased so that all farmers could access it, agricultural productivity would improve significantly.” That growing demand is already being felt by Maggot Farm. Operating on between two and two-and-a-half hectares, the company produces between six and 10 tonnes of organic fertiliser and six to 12 tonnes of protein-rich animal feed every month. Yet demand for the feed already exceeds production. “Production of animal feed is often lower because demand is very high,” said Barthazar Masengesho, the company’s production and operations manager. ALSO READ: Rwanda considers black soldier flies for protein-rich animal feed Rather than expanding production alone, Masengesho said equipping more farmers with the necessary skills will have a greater impact. “If this training centre expands and attracts more people, farmers will no longer struggle to access these products,” he said. “Instead of us producing alone, people will receive training and, after completing the training, we will provide them with starter stock at an affordable price so they can begin production themselves.” Besides producing affordable livestock feed, he said, the technology also offers a practical solution to organic waste management. Food waste collected from households, markets and hotels is converted into protein-rich larvae and nutrient-rich organic fertiliser instead of ending up in landfills. Researchers believe this could help address one of the biggest constraints facing livestock farming. “Many livestock farmers are concerned about rising prices of feed,” said Jules Mutabazi, a researcher at the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). “They cannot afford it and, as a result, chickens do not produce well. They often struggle just to keep their businesses running.” He noted that imported ingredients such as soybean meal and fishmeal remain major components of livestock feed, making locally produced alternatives increasingly important. “By using this training centre to teach farmers and livestock keepers how to rear black soldier flies, we could substantially reduce this challenge,” he said. Previous studies by the Ministry of Agriculture found that replacing part of soybean meal and fishmeal with black soldier fly larvae can reduce feed costs by about 40 per cent while maintaining strong growth performance in broiler chickens. Studies by RAB have shown that black soldier fly larvae contain around 70 per cent of the protein required in feed for poultry, pigs and fish. ALSO READ: Rwanda to expand use of black soldier flies to boost poultry production Abdu Konlambigue Matieyediu, the Country Representative of International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, said the centre in Kamonyi represents more than another agricultural project. “It demonstrates how innovation and private sector leadership can contribute to agricultural transformation,” he said. He said the centre is expected to grow into a hub for learning, demonstration, entrepreneurship and technology transfer, helping more farmers produce affordable livestock feed while improving soil fertility, reducing agricultural waste and creating employment opportunities. District officials also see the technology as offering benefits beyond livestock production. “This technology provides both livestock feed and organic fertiliser,” said Justin Mukiza, head of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Kamonyi District. Demonstration plots established in the district showed promising results, Mukiza said, with the fertiliser ranking second only to poultry manure in crop performance. “Some farmers have substantially reduced their use of conventional fertiliser after adopting the organic alternative, lowering production costs while maintaining good yields,” he added.

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Farmers turn to black soldier flies for cheaper fertilizer, feed