Enjoy their Sterling Products and Prompt Service.
What is in a name and colour?
These are some of the questions that oftentimes strike curious minds. However, it holds a strong meaning of progress especially with its close identification with Agrichem Africa Ltd, a company that has long been identified with sterling products, prompt service, product diversity and above all its versatile acumen to perfect ‘green’! The agricultural and fertilizer divisions of Agrichem Africa Ltd are so close to its customers that they have become synonymous. One can easily identify the broad network of the company’s customers with the great milestone that the country’s agricultural sector has attained over the years. The company has a unique crop teams made up of highly skilled specialists in different crops who are always on the move to access the remotest agricultural communities.
Introduction
Agrichem Africa Ltd is one of the country’s companies linked with leading innovative crop science companies with an outstanding range of products and extensive service back up for sustainable agriculture. The company operates and serves the region from Nairobi, Kenya. The company holds a leading position in crop protection and offers farmers the most comprehensive range of crop protection products solutions in the region.
Customer partnership
Agrichem Africa Ltd offers much more than just products and services. The company’s strategy is to build relationships with suppliers, intermediaries and end users. Such partnership is essential of our product and innovation is to be relevant, effective and ultimate, commercially successful. Those collaborations also guarantee that the farmer is offered what comes out of some well-researched chemistry and service that will be of benefit to more than just the farmer but to everyone in the food chain, including the consumer.
Products
Agrichem Africa Ltd products are developed and produced inline with the international standards. Whether insecticide, fungicides, herbicides, seeds, seed treatment, fertilizers or post harvest treatments, they are precisely tested and undergo extensive research to ensure they fit in the local environment and cropping conditions before commercialization. They are registered for use in horticulture, cereals, cotton, coffee, sugarcane and all other agricultural sectors. In horticulture, Agrichem Africa Ltd offers a wide range of crop protection products and extensive technical information and backup to ensure successful crop management. Agrichem Africa Ltd is committed to a long term strategy of ensuring the farming community is well informed on proper use of crop protection products.
Operations
Agrichem Africa Ltd serves the country from the company’s head office located off Outering Road, Baba Dogo, Nairobi. The products are distributed either directly to end users or via well-established regional agrochemical distributors. In addition Agrichem Africa Ltd has a back up of well trained team of technical representatives stationed in the major agricultural areas who offer technical advisory services directly to the end users through field-days, farmers seminars, field demonstrations as well as personal contacts. From ornamentals to vegetables to cereals; from development of new molecules for trials and registration and sales etcetera, the company centres on specialized crop teams one for each of its main crops. Unlike many companies with a westernized structure, the system functions so that it would give the best harvest according to the crop. Team members meet regularly to evaluate how each expert is doing under the Managing Director Mr. Shiraz. To acquire new molecules, the team works closer to the customer who determines what they need thus giving them the guide as they design the products. In turn the technical department works closely with their colleagues in sales and marketing. “Our team members have a certain spirit, based on respect and understanding the need of customers and willingness to cooperate,” says, Shirish Ingale, the Company’s Sales Manager, Floriculture. “Close interaction between the customers, sales/marketing and technical management teams with all members of the team jointly responsible for the results, is what really makes us different thus our secret of success.” For the company, success means growth. Agrichem Africa Ltd is showing the strongest will of trading in both distributions of others as well as their own molecules. According to market statistics and government agencies, some multinationals import and promotes their product but Agrichem Africa Ltd does the actual sales on their behalf for the floricultural industry. In addition, Agrichem Africa Ltd has acquired a number of its own molecules.
On development of new molecules, Mr.Shiraz says, “We do not just acquire products but make sure they are quality and from globally respected companies. In this era of genetics, molecules must be well proven to meet the highest standards.” To keep the buoyant performance on track, the company stages full strategy reviews, looking closely at market demands, portfolio and pipeline of each crop for several years ahead. This is what bore their entry into the cereal market and small packs. Currently this includes expansion of operations in the first growing cereal and small packs business and to further consolidate its already strong position in ornamentals and horticulture.
In training, Agrichem Africa Ltd has significantly increased investing in stockists and growers with special focus on crop protection and customer service.
“They are customers that will be the key to helping us develop our competitive advantage in the future,” says Mr. Patrick Muthengi, the National Sales and Marketing manager. Adding, “This kind of dedicated strategy, for example, will also give our customers a competitive edge, offering them unique trails in products that are ideally suited for their business”. To date, Agrichem Africa Ltd has conducted training for their stockists in all the major agricultural zones. They have also trained large-scale growers. “We are only a phone call away from our customers,” says Mr. Muthengi. We are product specific to most of the customers. We even handle those who are only interested in the product adapted to their specific growing condition and those who are looking for advice on the first growing method to get the best from their crop. Next are our distributors who want to add business services to the package, such as setting up contact with retails in their own area. “Our mission statement describes us as customer focused and that’s why we are organized to give the best customer service with the best technical back up to our clients”, says Mr. Shirish. “Our global approach means we can supply agricultural exporters and ensure their products are of the desired quality for European high standards,” says Mr. Muthengi. “Most flower growers are comfortable to work with us due to our network from agronomists up to the management,” he adds.
Restoring Value
Agrichem Africa Ltd is developing two types of products i.e. new innovative products that are patented and bring new opportunities to the grower. Secondly, they are also developing off patented (generic products) that are sourced from leading manufacturers worldwide and meet the highest international standards such as Iso 900, Iso 18000 (safety), Iso 14000 (environment), GLP (Good Laboratory Practices) and the highest QC (quality control).
These way Agrichem Africa Ltd products meet the highest standards-European standards and the costs are farmer friendly. Mr. Shiraz says, “We ensure that our product is reliable and of highest quality, and we help educate our customers and end users on how to use the product safely and responsibly.” Adding, “These offertories require added cost for the company. But to us it’s a worthwhile investment, because that cost to us adds value-in very real ways.
It improves the safety of the environment and people, and it serves as an assurance that we focus on quality even if it means extra cost on the business.” At Agrichem Africa Ltd, value includes drawing a spray program for growers. The value is unmistakable, less headache by the grower, better efficacy for the pesticides and less environmental footprint, and a final product easily acceptable in European market. “We know that it takes more than just saying your focus is on value. It needs to be seen in action, in demonstrated form,” says Mr. Muthengi. “This is why we participate in the exhibition; farmers open days and even organize our own field days with farmers. These create a conducive environment to private one-on-one meeting. We connect with people in ways that would allow us find a partner in us. It ensures we co-operate in ways that could bring more value to our customers.
Product Development and Registration
At Agrichem Africa Ltd, customers focus begins with product development. The technical team often accompanies their sales colleagues on customer visits, to get a better view on their needs. This approach is supported by the whole network of the staff located in the main areas. This ensures that the product is well suited to local climatic conditions. The network is extended further by selected growers’ course from the zone where the trials are done. Data is collected across the spectrum and analyzed at Agrichem Africa Ltd head office. “We’re happy because we get their feedback. They are happy because they are the first to get the best out of the product,” says Loureen Wamalwa, company Technical Manager. Before the product is commercialized, a registration dossier is prepared and presented to PCPB. “We must prove the product will add value to the industry,” Loureen Wamalwa, company Technical Manager says. As the world rolls into a new perspective of innovation and diversity Agrichem Africa Ltd cannot remain behind. It holds a bright future which will also see its customers operate at a totally new level.
