Businessperson and philanthropist Napoleon Dzombe says the rollout of his fertiliser-manufacturing plant is awaiting approvals from Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (Mepa) after rejection of the project’s initial report.
In an interview yesterday, he said the company, trading as Maulalo Fertiliser Company located in Dowa District, engaged experts to address the shortcomings and has since resubmitted another report.
Said Dzombe: “We had some environmental issues that Mepa wanted us to address. They advised us to get experts to help us, and we did that and submitted a second report.
alternative plans. | Nation
“On our part, it is not difficult to start manufacturing immediately.”
Mepa director general Wilfred Kadewa confirmed yesterday that Dzombe’s company made a submission which was processed, but fell short on “key issues” requiring attention.
He said: “We always provide details on what needs to be addressed based on the ToRs [terms of reference] we give right at the beginning and once they do that, the submission gets approved.
“But if developers skirt around and don’t address the raised issues, we cannot give a go-ahead.”
The two assessments have so far cost Maulalo Fertiliser Company K20 million covering K10 million per assessment.
Dzombe said the raw materials the company ordered from China are expected to arrive in the country at any time.
He said the company also has alternative plans to source raw materials locally if Mepa clears the project to start production.
The fertiliser plant has the capacity to produce between 30 and 40 metric tonnes (MT) of compound fertiliser, including NPK fertiliser, per hour.
Dzombe further said that once production starts, the company intends to gradually replace imported raw materials with locally sourced inputs.
Meanwhile, agricultural extension services expert Leonard Chimwaza has said once the company starts manufacturing, it will improve fertiliser availability and affordability for small-scale farmers who fail to purchase fertiliser.
He said some farmers grow crops without applying fertiliser, which affects their yields.
“That development is quite vital to the agriculture sector. It will help improve timely availability of fertiliser,” said Chimwaza.
Malawi requires approximately 470 000MT of fertiliser annually.
Local production is expected to help reduce the country’s reliance on imports and save scarce foreign exchange.
In 2025, Dzombe indicated that the company had the capacity to meet the country’s NPK fertiliser needs within 150 days. The fertiliser is mainly applied to maize, the country’s staple food crop.
Last week, Wait Holdings, a new fertiliser blending firm, started operations in Blantyre, producing 50MT per hour under its MlimiFert brand. The company has pledged to bolster Malawi’s national fertiliser programmes and commercial agriculture.
On the other hand, Rural Development Investment Initiative Trust, an organic fertiliser manufacturing plant in Blantyre, has started its operations with an annual production target of 20 000MT.
