Fertiliser company opens soil testing unit
The Malawi Fertiliser Company (MFC) has established a soil testing unit aimed at boosting production by guiding farmers on specific fertiliser blends to use.
Speaking during a Mega Farms Day in Liwonde on Wednesday, MFC general manager Chris Keen said through the Farm Service Unit (FSU), the company will be working with farmers to identify nutrient deficiencies in soils to determine the right fertiliser to apply.
“This is a special unit which will be working with farmers. Mainly, we are targeting mega farms but any farmer is free to contact the unit to test their soil and advise them on the best fertiliser for their farm,” he said.
Keen explained that within two days after collecting the soil sample and testing it, the company will be able to identify the soil problem, determine the required blend and blend it for its client.
The development is in line with the company’s commitment to supplying high-quality tailor-made fertiliser blends that meet specific regional and crop requirements.
“We are migrating from applying fertiliser because it is available to applying fertiliser according to the nutrient deficiency so that we address the specific problems and achieve high yields,” said Keen.
One of the mega farmers on the tour Jonathan Kamakanda said the development has come at the right time, adding that farmers are struggling to restore soil fertility.
“This is good news to us because it will provide the solution which we have been struggling to find. Soil fertility has gone down and farmers have been doing try-and-error to restore it because they couldn’t know the real problem but now, a solution has come,” he said.
Government’s Mega Farms Unit chief agri-business officer Macdonald Chikhawo said the soil testing unit will unlock many opportunities because once production increases, there will be surplus, which can be exported and generate forex.
The locally-owned company offers a wide range of NPK blends and straight fertilisers under the Meridian flagship brand SuperFert in different pack sizes.
The blending facility and terminal was completed in 2021 and can blend 120 metric tonnes (MT) per hour with the equivalent bagging capacity. It also has a 40 000MT storage capacity.
