Fertiliser firm aims to boost productionBy NOEL IYOMBWA

AS the 2021-2022 farming season is here a local company Capricorn Fertliser Zambia Limited is determined to be producing 20, 000 tonnes of fertiliser per month in a bid to meet the demands of the farming community.Company operations manager Gift Chalwe explained that the fertiliser company brand “Maize Max” hoped reached to be distributed to throughout the country through partnering with agro dealers in the distribution process.
Ms Chalwe said the company had so far commenced reaching out to farmers through cooperatives by providing both fertiliser and seed.
He noted that the range of farming products such as lime granule, organic fertilisers and tailored blends of different NPK had come at a right time when most farmers were struggling with yields due
to climate change.
“Capricorn fertilisers, brings on the Zambian market a unique product of superior organic granule which are less chemically enhanced but good for maize growth and other horticulture plants, “said Ms Chalwe.
She noted that the aim of the fertiliser and seed producing company was not only to help farmers with affordable prices of fertilisers and
seed but also make farming cheaper so as farmers were able to buy and grow more so that they were even able to favourably compete on the international market.
Ms Chalwe advised farmers to take advantage of the organically manufactured farming products such as fertiliser as they plan for the 2021/2022 farming season so as to make their farming profitable and as they also improved the food security at household level.
She observed that it was disheartening to note that 27 per ent of the Zambian workforce was engaged in agricultural activities whilst the sector as a whole only contributed less than five percent towards Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
She noted that factors that had contributed to this state of affairs were numerous and that Capricorn Fertiliser intends to play its role
by providing fertilisers that would increase productivity.
She also said that through the affordable pricing offered for a 50 kilogram bag of fertiliser at K250, their aim was also to reduce the dependency of farmers on the FISP programme which many of the vulnerable farmers relied on due to the high prices of fertiliser and seeds.
Ms Chalwe said that the steadily growing fertiliser and seed producer had so far created 100 direct jobs and hoped to create 1, 000 jobs by the end of 2022 farming season.