Posted on November, 28, 2018 at 10:17 am
Written by Catherine Mwamvani
Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development has advised fertilizer suppliers in the country to sell the recommended fertilizer that was agreed in the just awarded FISP contracts.
Speaking to Malawi News Agency on Monday, Public Relations Officer for the Ministry, Hamilton Chimala said the warning comes following the deficiency of zinc in the previous fertilizers.
“Our scientists found out that our soils have zinc deficiency and the new 23:10:5: cs+1zn fertilizer is responding to this soil and nutrient deficiency,” said Chimala.
He added that the country needs soil nutrient recovery fertilizers to ensure greater food production and reward to the farmer and across the entire value chain.
“On top of this, zinc is an essential micronutrient to plants though required in small quantities, yet it is crucial to plant development.
“In plants, zinc is a key constituent of the many enzymes and proteins such that it plays an important protein role in a wide range of processes such as growth hormone production and internodes elongation,” said Chimala.
The PRO added that the new fertilizer has also increased percentage of sulfur from 4 percent to 6.
He said, “Sulfur is as necessary as phosphorus and is considered an essential micro nutrient too. It helps plants in forming plant proteins and the deficiency of sulfur can cause plant health problems and loss of vitality.”
Meanwhile, the ministry has warned that it will take necessary measures against a supplier who will be redeeming FISP coupons and giving smallholder farmers a different formulation of NPK fertilizer to be retailed on FISP as per the signed contracts.
Source: Malawi News Agency (MANA Online)