Have you ever wondered what Orant means? It’s not just a funny word - it has a deeper meaning that we’re telling you about this week in the blog. Read more about it here and learn where we got our name and why we are grateful for you, our readers, donors, and supporters, this week and always.
How to Make Mbeya Fertilizer
Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi’s economy. It accounts for 30% of GDP and generates over 80% of national export earnings. The agriculture sector employs 64% of the country’s workforce. And of course, it contributes to food and nutrition security.
As the farming season is around the corner, fields are moist and gradually getting dressed in green as plants emerge from the soils following the falling of rains in some parts of Dowa, for the past few days.
Farmers are running up and down with their time-honored hand-held hoes preparing their gardens for planting, or sourcing fertilizer and preparing seed.
What is the impact of high costs?
For Sekina Chipokosa from Buza village, she has a reason to smile as she plans on preparing Mbeya manure for her 2 acre field.
“I learnt about Mbeya manure from Orant’s Agriculture program in the 2022/2023 farming year. I thought of trying it out on my 10 meter by 10 meter field and it gave me a good harvest.” She says.
With the rising cost of most items including farming inputs in Malawi, most farmers are stranded as most of them can not afford the high costs. With this challenge, some farmers end up using low quality inputs which, in turn, minimizes their yields.
As a way of solving this challenge, from last farming season, our Agriculture Program has been organizing a Fertilizer making training, through the Madisi Extension Planning Area.
What is Mbeya Fertilizer?
Mbeya Fertilizer is rich in the nutrients needed to improve and maintain soil structure, texture, color, depth, aeration, and fertility.
“It’s easy to make. It uses locally available resources,” says Samuel Suluveliyo, Madisi Agriculture Extension Development Officer. “By using Mbeya Fertilizer and all the necessary farming techniques, one will harvest between 50 to 80 kilogram bags of maize on an acre field.”
How to Make Mbeya Fertilizer
Materials
- 20 litre bucket of Madeya (maize bran)
- 10 litre bucket of phulusa (ash)
- 20 litre bucket of Ndowe (animal manure)
- 10 kgs of fertilizer – either NPK or Urea dressing
- 5 kgs of fertilizer- either NPK or Urea
- Note: If you want to make Basal dressing fertilizer, use 10 kgs of NPK and 5 Kgs of Urea. If you want to make Top dressing fertilizer, use 10 kgs of Urea and 5 Kgs of NPK
- 5 litres madzi (water)
- 1 thumba lachipepala mkati (sack that has plastic bag inside)
- 1 shovel
- 1 clean sheet for mixing
Procedure
- Divide the above materials into three portions
- Mix the ingredients slowly with water until they are all fine (mixed well)
- Combine into one bag
- Tie the bag with a string. Put it in an aerated place for 21 days.
- After 21 days, it’s ready to be used!
HINTS:
- Chicken manure is best to use.
- Cattle manure is not suitable. It takes too long to ferment and is light in weight.
- Make sure that non-breakable dungs like that of goats are pounded before mixed with other materials. This helps with fermentation.
Fun Facts:
- Madeya helps in fast and quick fermentation of mixture
- Ndowe attracts bacteria to ferment the mixture
- Ash contain sulphur, which prohibits the growth of striga asiatica (witch weed)
Share on:
The Orant Journal
Malawian culture has always been known as a treasure trove of wisdom, and proverbs being an integral part of our rich heritage. These timeless sayings have been passed on through generations, offering guidance, direction, and warnings that shape our values, beliefs, and daily lives. In our upcoming blog series, we will delve into the world of Malawian proverbs, exploring their meanings, contexts and significance. Read today's blog post which serves as an introduction to our journey.
Read today’s blog about the children’s book, “As Big as the Sky”, a Malawian story about a brother and sister whose love for each other is as big as the sky.
“Orant respectfully serves and collaborates with our community in a sustainable way.”
Ever wondered why we always mention village chiefs and their involvement in Orant’s work? If yes, then today’s blog article is for you! In this article, we talk to Village Head of Kasese Village in Dowa, who tells us about her duties and why her involvement with Orant is important. Read today's blog article to learn more.
Recently, we read The End of Plenty by Joel K. Bourne Jr. An honest and sometimes scathing review of the Green Revolution, this book covers how monoculture crops have led to worsening hunger across the world. As the planet warms, the need is ever more urgent for us to find a solution to humanity’s desperate need to feed 9 billion people.
As we have discussed in some of our past blogs, Malawi Vision 2063 has three key pillars that guide the focus of the Vision. These three pillars are meant to build on each other to create the inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation that they envision. In this blog, we will look at the third pillar of MW2063: Urbanisation.
Whether you are planning an African trip or just curious about the things we love about Malawi, read today’s blog to see the best things to do in Malawi!
Holidays are here again and we are so excited! Most of our team is taking time off with their families and loved ones, so please enjoy this blog while we are away. Celebrate the holidays with us the Malawian way!
Introducing you to the culture of Malawi through a series of articles! The culture of Malawi is strong in spirituality and most people are active in religious groups. We’ll tell you about Malawi’s main religions and the people who practice them. Read on for more.