Salim Ashiono is a 27-year-old entrepreneur in Ikholi Village, Ikolomani Sub- County, Kakamega County. The Founder of Aquasalim Ltd is on a mission to reduce the high cost of animal feed for young farmers.
He travels around western Kenya to install ponds for producing Azolla in farms. The protein-dense plants are a nutritious and affordable feed for poultry, fish, and cattle. They mature within 7 and 14 days, generating 15-18 kilos of feed, depending on the size of the pond. They also regrow after harvesting.
The demand for his services is increasing as more people, especially young farmers, learn the potential of Azolla as an affordable and nutritious animal feed. He installs four to six Azolla ponds monthly.
He says that: High cost of animal feeds is a major reason young people are not doing well in agribusiness. They can be as high as 70% of expenses. Fortunately, Azolla is one of the available solutions. It has great potential
Salim identified the opportunity in Azolla installation after joining the Resilient Agriculture that Works for Young People (RAY), an initiative by the Mastercard Foundation in partnership with Practical Action. His main clients are young agripreneurs within the program, especially those in the poultry business.
Apart from installing Azolla ponds, the graduate of Sigalagala National Polytechnic uses the plant to feed his 250 chickens to reduce the cost of feeds. In addition, he trains and mentors peers on Azolla installation and use. To help young people who may have adequate land to dig the Azolla ponds, he has innovated by building a free-standing unit that can be placed in small spaces.
Looking to the future, Salim dreams of unlocking opportunities for young people in farming by providing a range of affordable and nutritious solutions in feeds.