Talash Huijbers, founder of InsectiPro
InsectiPro is a Kenyan company that breeds black soldier flies and crickets on a commercial scale.
Talash Huijbers planned to farm fish in her native Kenya. The tilapia species, to be precise. Today, however, it supplies insect protein from black soldier flies to four major animal feed mills. Her company InsectiPro is also testing the market’s appetite for dried crickets.
It all started when Huijbers realized that despite the country’s ideal conditions, it was difficult to make tilapia farming a profitable endeavor in Kenya. The main reason is the high cost of fish feed, which accounts for between 60-80% of fish production costs in East Africa, as opposed to 30-50% in Europe. The reason for this is the lack of protein sources such as fishmeal and soy in Kenya. Huijbers researched alternative options and saw potential in mistakes.
To make the proposed venture viable, Huijbers needed to find customers for their insect protein. And so one day in October 2018, dressed in a slightly dirty white t-shirt and rubber boots from having previously been to her father’s farm, Huijbers walked into the offices of the largest feed miller in Kenya and explained to the production manager that she had done it a protein alternative.
“As a cocky 23-year-old, I casually asked, ‘What would your possible order be?’ To which he calmly replied that the company would immediately buy 500 tons per month,” she recalls. “I went out there, called my dad and told him we were going to start the next day!”
set up production
Huijbers’ father grows garden plants for export to Europe and offered her a hectare of land on his farm. She financed the company with her own money and financial support from family members who believed in her business idea. The company has now grown to produce a ton of product made from its black soldier fly every day, as well as between 100 and 200kg of dried crickets a month.
“I’m probably the most productive smallholder in Africa,” she jokes. From that one acre, the company produces $1,000 to $2,000 worth of products a day.
Employees at an InsectiPro production facility.
InsectiPro started producing black soldier flies and received its first colony from the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi. The company processes the flies into three products: black soldier fly meal (the protein component for animal feed made from the defatted fly), frass (organic fertilizer made from the leftover product after the larvae grow), and chitin (a natural polymer found in the flies). exoskeleton found in flies and used in the pharmaceutical industry).
Two years later, a supplier of nutritional products for school feeding programs visited the facility and inquired about insect protein for their products. Although InsectiPro was not raising insects for human consumption at the time, it secured the contract and began producing crickets shortly thereafter.
The company, which currently employs 82 people, has already set up satellite farms alongside major manufacturers that produce unwanted organic waste. “It’s a decentralized model. We are approaching the junk we get 80% free. For most large companies, it’s an attractive narrative to explain that they’ve gone from landfill to upcycling,” she says.
Breeding crickets for food security and nutrition
Eating crickets has a tradition going back thousands of years. They are a protein-rich food source, with studies showing that they can contain up to 73% protein. Huijbers notes that only 20g of crickets, or a handful, are needed daily to meet nutritional needs.
InsectiPro breeds crickets in stackable boxes and takes advantage of space-saving insect breeding. Each female cricket can lay 300-400 eggs over a period of two to three weeks. After 10 days, the crickets come into feeding bowls and are ready for harvest after five weeks. They are then frozen, thawed and baked for consumption.
The Company currently offers three Cricket Protein products. The first is a crunchy cricket flour snack called Chirup’s, which comes in four flavors (Barbecue, Plain, Caramel Cinnamon and Salt & Vinegar) and is sold in colorful 20g packets with playful branding featuring an illustrated cricket character moving engages in activities in various ways. You can find Chirrup’s on Greenspoon.co.ke, an e-commerce platform for health products in Kenya. In addition, Insectipro produces a cricket powder under the name PET and a porridge that is used for feeding schemes.
Chirup’s brand of snacks from InsectiPro made from cricket flour.
Huijbers explains that it can be difficult to sell the product as a whole cricket, but sees potential in the powdered form as it can be easily incorporated into various dishes and drinks, such as smoothies and school meals, without spreading the source.
“I find the cricket side of the business very stimulating and creative,” she says. “We work with chefs across the country, encouraging and challenging them to put it on their menu. We test different products.”
growth potential
Eating insects is a growing trend in Europe, while it is a cultural norm in many parts of Africa. Huijbers states that the company has received export applications, but the administrative and bureaucratic requirements currently make it unprofitable. Because the industry of insect farming for human consumption is relatively new, internationally recognized standards are not yet fully established. InsectiPro has received certification from the local standards bureau and is currently focusing on regional markets. It has already appointed a Ugandan CEO and will expand there in 2023. Rwanda is scheduled for 2024.
“We will stick to the insects that people are used to eating in a certain place,” says Huijbers. In Uganda and Rwanda, that would be locusts. InsectiPro also has a small project in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the Republic of Congo that focuses on palm weevils, but has no plans to scale this up commercially.
Huijbers believes that a more environmentally conscious generation will drive insect consumption in the future. “There is a younger generation that isn’t just concerned about the cost. They want to be informed about the positive and negative effects of a product before they buy it. And they are looking for eco-friendly alternatives that are locally available.”
Contact information of Talash Huijbers, CEO of InsectiPro
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