Press Cane Limited has started producing organic fertiliser following the commissioning of its fertiliser plant in Chikwawa, with the company expecting the product to be available on the market during the 2026 growing season.
Speaking during a media tour of the facility on Monday, Press Cane Sales and Marketing Manager Mercy Kamanga said the company had addressed challenges encountered during the commissioning phase and now commenced production.
“We are excited to announce that the plant was commissioned and, therefore, we have started producing the organic fertiliser that we have all been waiting for in the country,” said Kamanga.
She said the plant has the capacity to produce about 100 tonnes of organic fertiliser per day, equivalent to approximately 600, 50-kilogram bags.
“The organic fertiliser that will be produced from the effluent contains more than 5% potassium, making it suitable for crops such as maize and legumes because of the nutrient’s importance in plant development,” said Kamanga.
She added that fertiliser manufacturing companies could also use the product as a raw material in producing different fertiliser formulations.
“We are hoping that for the 2026 growing season, the product is going to be out there on the market. The commissioning of the plant follows about three years of our efforts to bring the facility to full operational capacity,” said Kamanga.
Meanwhile, Shire Valley Media Club President MacMillan Mozeyo said local fertiliser production could help Malawi reduce its dependence on imports and ease pressure on the foreign exchange market.
“The locally produced fertiliser could also help reduce costs for farmers by cutting some of the expenses associated with importing and transporting fertiliser over long distances. I want to urge Press Cane to ensure that communities and landowners in the areas the company operates benefit from the investment through various initiatives,” said Mozeyo.
The journalists toured Press Cane’s fertiliser and ethanol production facilities, as well as its effluent management ponds, where waste is processed into organic manure that can be used in crop production.
