By Chancy Namadzunda, contributor:
On a calm Tuesday morning, Samson Munthali of John Munthali Village in Traditional Authority Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba was all smiles as fellow farmers admired the healthy crops in his field.
Munthali says this is the first truly encouraging farming season he has experienced since he began farming more than two decades ago.
“It was a struggle. I was just farming because I wanted to have something to sustain me in terms of food. Otherwise, I used to harvest fewer than ten 50-kilogramme bags of maize on my two-acre farm,” he says.
Over time, the situation worsened as farming became increasingly expensive, with ever rising prices of inputs such as seed and fertiliser.
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The farmer admits that he slowly began to lose hope.
“We started abandoning our farms for piecework on estates just to survive,” he recalls.
Three years ago, however, Munthali says he began to regain interest in farming when news of new agricultural innovations started spreading across the country.
He decided to try some of these innovations. “For instance, I started using organic manure and other methods, but I was not satisfied. I wanted to try more.
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That is when I opted for Eagle Nano Urea liquid fertiliser this farming season,”
Munthali explains. Nano fertiliser is developed using nanotechnology, in which plant nutrients are formulated into extremely small articles to improve their absorption and efficiency.
Because of their tiny size and large surface area, these nutrients are more easily absorbed by plants and can be released in a controlled manner, reducing nutrient loss through leaching, runoff or evaporation.
Munthali says he chose this fertiliser because it is affordable.
Each 500 ml bottle costs K60,000 and is enough for one acre when used for top dressing.
With K120,000, he was able to cover his two acres, a cost he found manageable compared with conventional fertilisers.
“I did not hesitate,” he says, marvelling at the transformation in his maize field four months after applying the fertiliser.
His quick calculations suggest that this year’s harvest will surpass all previous seasons and could finally lift him out of poverty.
Eagle Nano Urea liquid fertiliser is produced by the India Ray Nano Research Centre and is locally distributed by
Paramount Holdings Limited.
Speaking on the sidelines of a recent field day, Paramount Holdings Limited Head of Business Development and Strategy Hrushika Jash
Ghedia described the fertiliser as a game changer that could ease production costs for Malawian farmers.
Ghedia said that since the company began distributing the product in September 2024, feedback from farmers has been positive.
According to Ghedia, farmers using the product are reporting a 17 to 20 percent increase in crop yields compared with granular urea.
“The advantages of this fertiliser are many, including lower costs due to reduced transport and application needs, simpler usage, faster plant response and improved environmental outcomes due to reduced chemical runoff.
“It also requires significantly lower quantities per application, reduces nitrogen loss in the soil, enhances nutrient absorption and promotes environmentally friendly and sustainable farming,” he says.
Ghedia adds that Paramount Holdings Limited aims to usher Malawi into a new era of farming defined by science, sustainability and self-reliance.
“This is exactly the kind of innovation we need to drive Malawi 2063. It is smart, sustainable and delivering real results for our farmers,” he says.
He describes the development as exciting, saying one container of the liquid fertiliser can replace up to 77 bags of conventional fertiliser, reducing transport, labour and foreign exchange costs by up to 98 percent.
Director of Crop Development in the Ministry of Agriculture Elidah Kazira praised the fertiliser for what she described as its contribution to soil health, crop yields and farmer profitability.
Kazira assured the company of the ministry’s support in helping Eagle Nano Urea reach more farmers at an affordable cost to improve yields.
According to Ghedia, the company has worked to ensure that the tested product is available in farmers’ own districts to reduce transport costs.
“Our dream is to establish a manufacturing plant for Eagle Nano Urea and other fertilisers in Malawi,” he says.
Back in Mzimba, Munthali walks between rows of thriving maize with quiet pride. For years, farming was a burden he carried out of necessity. Today, it feels like a promise. “I used to look at my field and feel defeated.
Now I look at it and see school fees for my children and food in my home. This harvest will change my life,” he says with a smile.
