Solakilimo solutions ltd

We are providing solar powered cold rooms for fish, fruits and vegetable farmers on a pay-as-you preserve model. 

Solakilimo solutions is a company solving the problem of post-harvest food loss. Farmers in Kenya loose up to 70% of their harvest due to spoilages. They earn too little in efforts to sell before spoilage. They are also exploited by middlemen. 80% of farmers are also located in regions that are not connected to the national grid. We are providing solar powered cold-rooms for farmers to preserve their harvest. Farmers preserve on a pay-as-you go system eliminating installation and maintenance costs. The harvest stays fresh up to 21 days. Farmers are able to source better priced markets and earn more for their fresh harvest. We are reaching dairy, fish, fruits and vegetable farmers. We are already providing the solution to 300 fish farmers in Kenya, Siaya county. In one year we will impact 5000 farmers. We will create 150 direct job opportunities for the youth and women. With the 40% increase in farmers’ income they can afford better life including better healthcare and quality education for their children.

Kenya loses nearly 60 percent every year of its total harvest due to a variety of reasons, mainly related to the lack of an efficient market linkage system as well as absence of a large scale climate-proof storage capacity. This severely impacts the incomes of a large majority of Kenyan farmers, of which nearly 86 percent barely manage to eke out a living, earning less than USD 1,000 a year for all their toil and effort. Creating a self-sustainable farming society where farmers earn better, creation of employment opportunities for women and youth and reduction of CO2 emissions up to 80% to the environment. The agriculture sector in Africa can employ a lot of women and youths and also improve the lives of these communities. The use of solar energy in practices such as  preservation of harvest reduces the operation costs on energy and consequently no emissions to the environment. More women and youths will have an opportunity to be employed in the agriculture sector value chains. The sector thus requires innovations and models that will see improved earnings for farmers and job creation.  Use of electricity and other fossil fuels for agriculture practices causes increased carbon emission to the environment and the greenhouse gases to the environment. The use of solar energy for preservation of harvest does not produce air pollution and no greenhouse gases emitted. Solakilimo solutions will save the environment from C02 and greenhouse gases emissions up to 80% and increase farmer revenue up to 40%.

we provide solution for farmers. Our customers are dairy, fish, fruits and vegetable farmers. They loose up to 60% of their harvest to spoilages. They lack affordable means to preserve the harvest. Some are forced to sell at throw away prices to avoid further losses. Farmers make the largest segment of people living below $2 per day despite farming being the major economic activity in Kenya. 80% of the farmers are located in regions that are not connected to the national grid. Solakilimo cold rooms are powered by solar. They are affordable as we operate on a pay-as-you preserve model. Farmers can preserve their harvest as they find better priced market for their harvest. Farmers using our cold rooms have had up to 40% increase in their income. They can afford better livelihood with the increased income.

We have done market research with fish farmers in Siaya, Kenya. We engaged them before designing the cold units and determining the appropriate location for setting up. 

we are testing or product in Siaya, Kenya. 500 fish farmers are using or cold units. 

we will incorporate AI in the monitoring and regulation of cold room temperatures. This will ensure a customer can easily run the cold room without the help of our technicians.  

we are serving 500 fish farmers currently in Kenya. We aim to reach 5,000 farmers over the next 12 months.

we will be setting up more cold units in the production centers. Farmers will be able to preserve their harvest and earn better. They will not loose their harvest to spoilages. With the increase in income they can afford better healthcare and quality education for their children. Since majority of farmers are located in regions not connected to the national grid, we will help in lighting those areas and increase the hours of business. Infrastructure such as roads will develop in areas we will set up also.

we measure success by the number of customers reached and their significant increase in revenues. we can also observe the change in living conditions for our customers.

Our solution is capital intensive. we needs more funds to develop our infrastructure to be able to serve the increasing number of customers. we need more cold units set up.

Solakilimo has a very passionate, dedicated and hardworking management team that works cohesively towards creating efficiency in our business.

Raphael Asiba the Founder has 4 years’ experience working with Ujuzilabs a company that tests soil and helps farmers make precision decision based on soil data. Has a Bachelor of Economics and statistics degree from the Kenyatta University, Nairobi. Passionate about provision of solutions for people in the bottom of the pyramid. The founder and C.E.O of Solakilimo Solutions Ltd.

Brian Maasi has 3 year of experience in management. Has worked for Ecobora Solutions; a company distributing solar powered cook stoves to schools in Kenya.A Renewable energy and environmental physics expert from the Jomo Kenyatta university of agriculture and technology.He is still fresh from university and energetic enough to do his job effective.

Ms. Millicent Mejja has extensive experience in sales, marketing, and management, and has worked as a Marketing lead in ECOBORA Kenya where she was involved with innovation of new products to the market, which are still the best revenue generators in the company.

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