Jalingo — Farmers in the country have been asked to make use of organic fertilizers and other organic agro-allied chemicals for their beneficial effects on the soil and crops. General Manager, Retail Marketing of Zenith Energy Enzymes Limited, Attayi Umoru made the call in Jailngo, at a seminar for farmers on the benefits of organic fertilizers.

He said organic fertilizers are preferable to the inorganic because they are environmentally friendly, economical and safer in application especially among illiterate farmers, adding that, “the product from organic fertilizers is preferable because it has better effect on health. There are enzymes in organic fertilizers which speed up organic reactions in the soil thereby ensuring high productivity and yield of crops.

“The enzymes in organic fertilizers multiply the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil in billions and because of that, the soil has enough nutrients to feed the crops with. Organic fertilizers, unlike the non-organic fertilizers, don’t have adverse effects on the soil and the farmers applying them. The farmer can use his hand in applying organic fertilizer but the chemical fertilizer is usually corrosive,” he said.

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OVERHAUL ING the current fertilizer subsidy policy is expected to benefit companies as the newly launched study into why the status quo has not succeeded, plans to work on the existing gap on information flows.

According to the Assistant Director of Agricultural Inputs at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operatives, Dr Mshindo Msolla, there are currently two areas where lack of information with regards to fertilizer use results in either higher costs or inefficient use of inorganic fertilizer for smallholder farmers.

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Barentu — Agriculture experts in Gash-Barka region indicated that the introduction of select crops has made significant input in boosting harvest. They made the statement at a meeting they conducted with a number of farmers from Barentu sub-zone, during which the importance of agricultural research was thoroughly explained.

Mr. Atewebirhan Yosef, head of the Agriculture Ministry’s branch in Barentu sub-zone, indicated that select sorghum, millet and oil crops acknowledged by the agricultural research center in the sub-zone have ensured impressive outcome.

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Tunisia has extended its qualification in the area of organic products continually over the last ten years. “Organic products, known under the hallmark Bio Tunisia are becoming more and more important on the local market and are being demanded by more and more on the international market as well,” as per Elke Peiler, project manager foodstuff sector of the German-Tunesian IHK.

Dates are a Tunisian trade mark and are closely linked to the North African country. Dates are the most important product bar one in the organic sector. In 2011, 6,000 tons of organic dates were harvested in Tunisia, of which 4,000 tons (67%) was exported. 68% of this went to Germany, 11% to the United States and 7% to Morocco.

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Windhoek — At least 100 delegates from all over the world are meeting in Windhoek for the University of Namibia-hosted 3rd African Conference on Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms that started on Sunday.

The conference, being held in Namibia for the first time, brings together scientists, farmers, donors and companies interested in the science of mushroom production from as far afield as Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, China, Serbia, Croatia, the United States of America and Japan.

The University of Namibia (Unam) is organizing the conference through its Department of Biological Sciences and the Zero Emissions Research Initiative (Zeri) project.

Unam’s Dr Percy Chimwamurombe chairs the local organizing committee for the conference and is the executive secretary of the African Society for Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms (Asemm). He said approximately 40 of the delegates to this conference are from outside Namibia.

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