President Edgar Lungu has commissioned the US $5 million fertiliser blending plant at the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ).
Dora Siliya, agriculture minister said the increased fertiliser production and supply will push the commodity’s price down and also ensure farmers have no difficulties accessing the inputs.
Siliya wants to see increased production of fertiliser so that farmers have better access to the commodity, increased production and supply.
She said the investment was in line with the Government’s aspirations on agricultural development aimed at ensuring value addition in the agricultural chain.
Jervis Zimba, Zambia National Farmers Union president also said that fertiliser prices were expected to start reducing overtime because of the new plant.
Zimba said that would be the only way farmers could sustain their business and comparative pricing of key inputs, especially fertiliser, bringing benefits to farmers.
He said blended fertiliser has massive benefits to the crops and soil.
The plant has a number of sections, one of them being that which process lime and manure to make them ready for blending with Nitrogen Phospherous and Potassium fertiliser.
Zambian Fertilisers plant manager James Chisenga said the company had increased its production capacity from 800 bags a day to 8000 owing to the introduction of more machinery.
ETG Agri inputs global chief executive officer Ashish Lakhotia said the Group’s focus was not just to make money but to create a better world and make the people it dealt with happy.
