New fertiliser to boost production by more than 20%

A new fertiliser variety has been launched in Kenya that is expected to help farmers increase production.

Export Trading Group (ETG), the Kenyan multinational that has come up with the new brand of the input known as Kynoch Fertiliser, says the new invention would play a pivotal role in helping the country boost food production.

“Food stability is one of the pillars of Kenya’s Big Four Agenda. Using the best fertiliser blending technology available globally, we are able to produce over 100,000 metric tonnes annually using a computer-controlled machine,” says ETG Country Director Giles Lewis.

According to Lewis, this is the “most accurate and advanced fertiliser blender available in East Africa”, adding that it is strategically located in Mombasa to reduce handling and logistics costs.

This fertiliser brand, he says, is coated with two special products known as Agrotain and Avail. The former is a nitrogen stabiliser, protecting nitrogen from volatilisation and keeping nitrogen available to plants to optimise yields potential while Avail reduces the fixation of applied phosphate and enhances rapid, early growth, healthier crops and stronger yield potential.

“The fertiliser blends are produced in collaboration with Kynoch Fertilisers from South Africa. Kynoch is one of South Africa’s most respected fertiliser brands and has been working with farmers for over 100 years. We are therefore using Kynoch’s expertise to produce more effective fertilisers for Kenya’s needs and giving farmers a higher return on investment through enhanced coating and micro element technologies,” says Mr Lewis.

Trials on blended fertilisers show a 20 per cent yield increase over normal DAP and CAN fertilisers and over 100 per cent increase in yield over a farmer who does not use any kind of fertilizers.