Agrinutrition Enterprise improves market access through upscaling program.

Agrinutrition is a Kenyan-based agribusiness enterprise that processes and supplies value-added organic agricultural products, including Moringa and sunflower products. According to Mary Mwangi, the Managing Director at Agrinutrition, the enterprise has enlisted approximately 1000 local farmers, who farm and supply the raw agricultural products

Multiple research findings have shown that people are becoming more conscious of living styles and consequently are increasingly choosing the ‘organic option’. However, consumers are less aware of the range of products available under the label of ‘organic’ and do not know how to differentiate authentic organic products from the marketing noise of fake claims. 

This challenge has immensely affected authentic organic brands like Agrinutrition Enterprise, who fail to label their products adequately for proper verification by consumers. According to Mary Mwangi, her products had minimal market share because most people did not realize their organic nature. In addition to the lack of acknowledgment by consumers, improper branding and labeling meant that Agrinutrition’s products could not sufficiently penetrate the flooded market. 
While seeking solutions to gain market breakthroughs for her products, Mary joined Invest in Africa and GIZ program on upscaling manufacturing SMEs in natural products in Kenya and Uganda. One of the classes Mary enrolled in the program was about access to market, where she learned and got technical support in digital marketing, branding, and organic certification, among other subjects. 

Through the practical application of the lessons and guidelines from this class, Mary improved the branding and product marketing of her business. She enhanced her product labeling to include important information emphasizing the organic nature and the natural ingredients used. She also added information about the organic verification certificates and the level of the necessary compliance. 

These transformative steps in Mary’s marketing and branding have led to increased market share for Agrinutrition Enterprise and improved market penetration of the products. “We hired a professional to work on our labeling, and as a result, we have seen increased sales, and consumers have started to reach out to us for more products and information. Other organizations and marketers have also expressed interest in working with our products in the international markets, such as Amazon,” said Mary Mwangi. According to her, the improved sales have increased the enterprise’s revenue by 40% in 2022. Mary adds that the high demand for her products has necessitated the expansion of the enterprise’s production space. She also hired one more full-time employee in addition to the part-time engagement with students and interns. 

Agrinutrition Enterprise is one of the 40 enterprises from Kenya and Uganda that participated in a program to upscale manufacturing SMEs in natural products. The program was implemented by Invest in Africa (IIA) in partnership with GIZ Business Scouts for Development