Wadudu breeds insects as a sustainable alternative to agriculture

Advising on subsidies and keeping a mealworm farm next to it. Janmar chose Katoele, owner of Katoele Subsidie ​​Experts and mealworm nursery Wadudu in Beilen, for this surprising combination. With the help of MIA \ Vamil he invested in a culture cell to increase the number of mealworms.

“The world population will grow from 7 to 9 billion in the coming decades. The expectation is that the protein requirement in the world will increase by as much as 60 to 90%. We do have to look for alternatives to traditional agriculture, one of which is the breeding of insects, ”says Katoele. Since 2011 he has run a subsidy consultancy for innovative entrepreneurs in agriculture. In 2012, he came into contact with the cultivation of insects during a reunion of his study Animal Husbandry in Wageningen. “Since then it has been in my head to ‘do something with it’. When the consultancy firm was in good shape in 2015, I was given time to pioneer. ”

Dancing around the box

“When the first mealworm became a pupa, we danced around the tank; we can do it!”

Katoele started with 1.5 m2 cultivation trays from De Welkoop in an unused shower cubicle. In it he put ten grams of mealworms he got from the local pet store. “Mealworms grow from egg to worm in eight to ten weeks. They pupate in two weeks and then become beetles, which lay eggs again. Little is known about breeding, so I really had to find out everything myself. Fortunately, I had a lot of people around me who all wanted to think along from their own knowledge and skills. When the first worm became a doll, we danced around the tank; we can do it!”

 

Janmar Katoele: “The expectation is that the protein requirement in the world will increase by 60 to 90%. We do have to look for alternatives to traditional agriculture. ”

Scaling up

After two months, Katoele switched to a cultivation cell of 18 m2 and in the meantime a cultivation cell of 50 m2 has been put into use in the warehouse near the office. A third culture cell of 60 m2 is planned. In time, Katoele may also scale up to another location. “We receive requests to transport trucks full of mealworms abroad every week, but we are not there yet.” Katoele does focus on scaling up. In the meantime, he sells his mealworms mainly to the pet food industry and for human consumption. “I don’t think it will ever become common to eat roasted mealworm with a drink. As a fun food it does have a future, but the large bulk is processed in other products. ” Katoele herself already regularly eats mealworm. “By the fried rice or processed in biscuits.”

all grants

“It is great that innovations are supported with subsidies, because this is a useful form of growth acceleration”

The culture cell was made possible in part by the MIA \ Vamil. “It cost almost € 8,000. You don’t buy it ready-made, that also involved a continuous search, development and consultation with the installer.” MIA \ Vamil did not play a role in the first investment decision, because the technique “breeding system for insects” was not yet on the Environment List at the time. “But the schemes were important in the upscaling.” As a mealworm and subsidy expert, Katoele makes use of every available scheme. “It would be strange if I didn’t. I also submit for regional subsidies. It is great that innovations are supported with subsidies, because this is a useful form of growth acceleration. ”

 

“Mealworms grow from egg to worm in eight to ten weeks.”

Source interview: Netherlands Enterprise Agency.

Source Mia Vamil scheme: Katoele Subsidie ​​Experts, MIA Vamil.

Photos: Hans Roggen