How to start Agrovet Business in Kenya – Licensing Requirements

Running an Agrovet business in Kenya is one of the best opportunities that an entrepreneur can pursue. 

It can be argued that as more young people shift towards white collar jobs and move to urban centers, farming and animal keeping should be diminishing. On the contrary, we can now see more specialized farming and a skillful approach towards agriculture with an overall goal of maximizing yields.

This implies that an Agrovet business in Kenya is one of the best opportunities that an entrepreneur can pursue in Kenya. Farmers are starting to appreciate scientific approach to agriculture and thus providing a ready market for agro products.

Farm chemical companies are also doing a better job at marketing their manufactured products making it easier for retailers to resell even to areas where selling these products would otherwise be difficult.

In order to successfully start an agrovet business in Kenya, it’s important to consider the legal and licensing requirements.

To start and operate an agrovet business in Kenya you need the following licenses;

County business permit.

This is a mandatory permit that is needed of all types of businesses and is an average of 7,000 Kenyan shillings, varying from county to county.

Certifications from the Pest Control and Products Board.

This license is issued to agrovets that deal in pesticides and other related products.

The license fee is 1,000 for retailers and 4,000 for both wholesalers and distributors; payable annually.

Certification from Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS).

KEPHIS issues certificates to agrovet businesses that indicates the agrovet is offering genuine and certified products like seeds, fertilizers etc..

For a retail business, it costs KES – 1,000; for a  wholesaler, KES. 5,000 and a distributor

Although many small agrovets ignore this license, it is nevertheless important to always stay on the right side of the law to avoid heavy penalties.

Check out the series on Running an Agrovet Business in Kenya and also learn more about how a POS System can help you run & grow your business