How Siaya couple is reaping big from worm juice

In their wildest dreams, Owino Otieno and Mary Owino never imagined they would one day earn a living from producing and selling vermicast and vermi juice, commonly known as worm juice. 

However, Mary decided to venture into the business three years ago after attending a training session where she and other farmers learnt that the products could help them navigate the challenges of climate change, including increasingly erratic weather patterns, rising fertiliser and pesticide costs, and global supply chain disruptions that threaten agricultural productivity and household incomes.

“For many years, we relied on expensive chemical fertilisers and pesticides from agrovet shops. I learnt that vermicast and worm juice offer a cheaper alternative because they are made from locally available materials,” she says. 

In early 2025, she started constructing a suitable vermiculture bed using old timber and plastic sheets. She filled it with organic materials such as crop residues, animal manure, dry leaves, kitchen waste, and other biodegradable matter, determined to have the products ready in time for the March planting season. 

She then introduced about half a kilogram of earthworms supplied by the Tembea Features Institute. 

As she fed the worms with decomposing organic materials, they digested the matter and excreted vermicast, a fine, dark, soil-like substance rich in essential plant nutrients. The vermicast is applied to crops as an organic fertiliser. 

As decomposition takes place, water percolates through the compost, carrying nutrients with it. The nutrient-rich liquid collects at the bottom of the unit, forming worm juice, which is then drained through an outlet or tap into a clean container. 

She says, “We filter it to remove any solid particles before storing it in a cool, shaded place.” 

Her husband, Otieno Owino, who had been keenly following the process, soon developed an interest in the venture, promising to support his wife in expanding the enterprise. 

He explains that, due to owning only a small piece of land, they have been forced to cultivate it continuously, depleting soil nutrients and fertility over time. 

“Given that vermicast and vermi-juice help rejuvenate soils and restore their fertility, thereby supporting healthy crop production, I saw them as solutions whose time had come,” says Owino from Nyapiedho village in Ugunja Sub-County, Siaya County. 

By the time planting season arrived in March, the couple had already produced several sacks of vermicast and numerous jerry cans of worm juice. 

Farmers who had not produced their own vermicast and worm juice began buying the products from the couple. Within a short period, they were receiving at least 10 orders a day. 

Mary says her immediate challenge was setting fair prices for group members, friends and other community members.

She sells a 300ml bottle of worm juice to group members for Sh100. Non-members pay between Sh150 and Sh200 for the same quantity. 

She explains: “The price was fair because worm juice is diluted at a ratio of one to 10, meaning, for every bottle a farmer purchases, it is mixed with 10 bottles of water before application.” 

The couple is expanding the venture to meet the rising demand, as more farmers embrace indigenous crops and growing demand for organically produced food. 

Owino helps with marketing and distributing the products to customers.

He says: “I cannot remember a single day when we failed to make money from these products.” 

When the demand is high, particularly at the onset of the planting season, the couple earns at least Sh5,000 per week from worm juice and about Sh7,000 per week from vermicast sales. 

Resilience Action Network Africa (RANA) Executive Director Aggrey Aluso describes the production of vermicast and worm juice as significant adaptation strategies that strengthen communities’ ability to adapt to climate change while promoting food security and healthier livelihoods. 

“Farmers who are adopting organic methods of fertilising soils, controlling pests, and using indigenous seeds are demonstrating an effective response to changing climate conditions,” Aluso says.

“Farmers express concerns about the long-term health and environmental effects associated with excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.” 

Aluso argues that such initiatives remain fragmented and require greater government support through enabling policies and investments, including targeted incentives for producers and increased funding for agricultural extension services to help farmers adopt and scale up sustainable soil fertility and pest management practices. 

He advocates for the development of branding and certification systems that clearly identify organically produced foods, enabling consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. 

Aluso calls for stronger collaboration among farmers, businesses and government institutions to strengthen quality assurance systems, reduce post-harvest losses, and protect producers from exploitation.

“There is enormous potential in these products. Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of what they eat, and with the right support, farmers can develop thriving niche markets for indigenous vegetables, cereals, and other organically produced foods,” he says. 

Programme officer at Tembea Features Institute Joshua Amollo says vermicast and vermi juice technology also focuses on improving farmers’ incomes. 

The institute provided farmers with a small number of red worms after training to begin with.  

He says farmers produce enough vermicompost products for use on their own farms, while the rest are sold to other farmers for income. 

“Since most farmers produce in small quantities, we are organising them into farmer service centres where they can combine their production volumes. This enables aggregators to access larger quantities while helping farmers earn better incomes from their products.” 

“We have also seen aggregators emerging as off-takers. They purchase the products from farmers and sell them to larger markets.”

Amollo says they encourage farmers to increase production because higher volumes translate into greater income opportunities. 

Production capacity varies from one farmer to another, ranging from about 20 litres to more than 1,000 litres per week, depending on the scale of operation.