BOOSTING SOIL HEALTH: C.A.T PROMOTES ORGANIC MANURE

The Center for Agricultural Transformation (CAT) has reiterated its commitment in helping the smallholder farmers to improve productivity across the country.

As part of its commitment, CAT has started reaching out to smallholder farmers with awareness campaigns on the benefits of producing and using organic fertilizer.

According CAT agronomist services technician, Robert Chana, the campaign aims to restore soil health by encouraging farmers to use more organic manure instead of fertilizers.

“We’ve noted that the productivity is changing, so we’re trying to address the issue of soil health, which is an important issue among the smallholder farmers,” Chana said at Bunda CAT smart farm during a farmer’s field day.

“So we thought it wise that we invite these farmers (from Mkwinda Extension Planning Area) and train them on how to make compost manure, so that they should be using manure in their respective fields,” He added.

He among others commended the Global Action through the Agricultural Transformation Initiatives (ATI) for the financial support, and the ministry of agriculture for their technical support towards CAT’s initiatives.

Agricultural Extension Development Officer from Msodzi Section under Mkwinda EPA, Robert Hinson Limbe, urged farmers to engage in making organic manure as one way of reducing costs of production and improve their profit.

“We want our farmers to produce with the less cost, the locally available resources that they do have, they can use those resources to produce. That’s why we are encouraging them to participate in making organic manure,” Limbe said.

The training, attended by 140 lead smallholder farmers from Mkwinda EPA, is part of CAT’s efforts to promote sustainable agricultural practices and improve soil health in the country.

CAT plans to reach out with the same kind of trainings in its other smart farms in the country.

By Tiyamike Chisale.