(3 minutes read)
· Zambia’s massive fertilizer import bill can be cut if the
country can adopt the use of the latest technology in plant nutrition; that is using organic and liquid fertilizers
· Zambia imports fertilizers in bulk, which is causing heavy pressure on its foreign exchange position. Because of that, the value of local currency- the Kwacha- is always under pressure shedding its value
· Liquid fertilizer has advantages, which include covering a bigger area, cheaper, more effective as it is sprayed to the leaf rather than the soil and has different varieties, which will help both the soil and the plant
Zambia’s massive fertilizer import bill can be cut if the country can adopt the use of the latest technology in plant nutrition; that is using organic and liquid fertilizers. Zambia imports fertilizers in bulk, which is causing heavy pressure on its foreign exchange
position. Because of that, the value of local currency- the Kwacha- is always under pressure shedding its value.
Agro input, petroleum and US dollar debt repayments as the three factors straining the local currency and are the major foreign exchange drainers in Zambia. One Agro firm – Orgachem Zambia Limited has proposed a transformational technology driven and cost effective approach of using effective liquid or soluble fertilizers.
Orgachem Limited will manufacture soluble fertilizer and European standard liquid fertilizers, which are both chemical and organic. The company’s licenses are from Europe. This new technology may just be the solution for Zambia.
Liquid fertilizer has advantages, which include covering a bigger area, cheaper, more effective as it is sprayed to the leaf rather than the soil and has different varieties, which will help both the soil and the plant. The soluble fertilizer is easy to manufacture and transport as it mainly comes in bottles, which are much easier to carry and are cheaper in terms of labor because it does not require very big machinery.
The Organchem aims to reduce chemical fertilizers and encourage the use of organic fertilizers adding that the company uses vegetable waste and cow manure wastes among other materials. These materials are locally available in Zambia.
