Kenya Pyrethrum: Reviving the Natural Insecticide Industry
Kenya once supplied 70 percent of global pyrethrum. Production collapsed in the 2000s but has recovered to 5,000 tonnes under a reformed marketing structure, with pharmaceutical-grade extraction now operational.
Kenya dominated global pyrethrum supply in the 1980s, providing 70 percent of world production from smallholder farms in the highlands of Nakuru, Nyandarua, Meru, and Elgeyo Marakwet. Mismanagement of the Pyrethrum Board and competition from synthetic pyrethroids collapsed production from 11,000 tonnes to under 2,000 tonnes by 2012. Reforms replacing the Board with the Agriculture and Food Authority's pyrethrum unit and liberalising the marketing structure reversed the decline. Kenyan pyrethrum production recovered to approximately 5,000 tonnes in 2023.
The Quality Premium
Botanical Resources Australia invested in a modern extraction facility near Nakuru producing pharmaceutical-grade pyrethrins for the premium organic insecticide market. Natural pyrethrum is increasingly valued for organic-certified insecticides and WHO-approved mosquito net treatments. Tanzania is also expanding production, with both countries targeting 80 percent of global market share by 2030. Agricultural commodity traders and processors active in pyrethrum can access East African supply contacts on intra-africa.com.
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