Agro players vie for enhanced chemical technologies

Agricultural companies working as a consortium in the country have embarked on a farmer awareness campaign on the use of farming chemical technologies for bumper harvests.

Farmers Organisation Limited (FOL), Pannar seed company, Funwe Seed Company, Peacock Seed Company and Agricultural Input Supplies Limited (AISL) have been running demonstration plots with farmers in some parts of the country to demonstrate benefits of using chemical technologies.

Results from the demonstration plots visited on Wednesday and Thursday in Kasungu and Mchinji showed bumper yields on plots treated with chemical technologies than control plots which used traditional methods.

FOL operations manager Ronald Chilumpha said the technologies involve using improved seeds which are treated when planting, on field pest and disease control and post-harvest pest control.

Realising the challenges small scale farmers face in identifying and mixing chemical, FOL has introduced a one-all pack of chemicals called Nyonga Pack which has instructions for the farmers to follow easily.

“One pack contains Seedmate which protects the crop from soil borne pests, Acetamiprid for treating aphids, Decis-Forte for killing leaf eating insects, Score for tearing leaf spots, powdery mildew and rust and Actellic Gold Dust for post-harvest treatment,” said Chilumpha.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Erica Maganga said all these technologies are tested and certified by the ministry’s chemicals department and are approved for use by farmers.

Farmers Union of Malawi president Alfred Kapichira Banda said the technologies are good because they can enable farmers increase harvests on a small piece of land.