Headman Nkondola of Nkondola Village in Chongwe District has called for utilization of more organic fertilizers for their crops to get better yields and protect soil from damage.
Headman Nkondola stated that organic fertilizers have so far proved to be as effective as chemical fertilizers and can be easily made using different types of waste.
The Traditional ruler said in an interview that compost fertilizer called Bokashi is one of the organic fertilizers which is producing high crop yields compared to chemical fertilizers.
Headman Nkondola also stated that Bokashi has become popular among small scale farmers in the area because it is less costly to produce.
“The process of making this product is easy and cheaper for small scale farmers. We simply mix animal dung, decomposed food, some molasses, grass as well as leaves among other plants and let the mix decompose for a number of days until it turns into a fine compost fertilizer which is safe for application to our crops,” Headman Nkondola said.
He commended Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre (KATC) for training farmers in various agricultural camps with skills on how to make various organic fertilizers such as Bokashi.
Meanwhile, Ailedi Munsaka a small-scale farmer from Kampekete has appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture and KATC to teach youths especially those in villages how to make Bokashi so that they can sell the product and earn a living.
Ms. Munsaka said there is a high demand for the organic fertilizer from farmers in the district, an opportunity which youths can utilise to earn a living.
She commended KAT C and the Ministry of Agriculture for the efforts they are making to promote climate smart farming methods such as organic farming in the area.
