Government launches national fertilizer policy

Ministry of agriculture has launched national fertilizer policy which is key for the growth of fertilizer industry

During the launch Minister responsible Lobin Lowe described it as a milestone towards agriculture transformation in Malawi

Lowe said the national fertilizer policy has been aligned to national agriculture policy and Malawi vision 2063 which identify agriculture as priority area number one

The minister stated that supporting farmers with high quality fertilizers can contribute to increased agricultural productivity

“In Malawi there are only two companies that are blending fertilizers whilst most companies rely on importing resulting into high costs hence unaffordable for most smallholder farmers,” Lowe

The Minister said the country needs good policies that will create good environment to attract more investors in the fertilizer industry

Lowe bemoaned selling underweight fertilizers by unscrupulous suppliers due to lack of appropriate legislations to control the production, importation and distribution

He disclosed that the national fertilizer policy has been harmonized with COMESA and SADC protocols to strengthen trade amongst countries

The agriculture minister said stakeholders were involved in the process of developing the policy and requested their involvement in the implementation