Mtumbuka vows local fertilizer production if UTM wins September polls
UTM Party presidential running mate, Engineer Matthews Mtumbuka, has pledged that a UTM-led government will establish a local fertilizer manufacturing plant to make the commodity more affordable for Malawian farmers.
Speaking with conviction at Mdyaka in Nkhatabay on the campaign trail ahead of the September 16 polls, Mtumbuka said Malawi’s failure to produce fertilizer locally is not due to technical challenges but rather a lack of political will and leadership.
“Our friends in countries such as Zimbabwe are producing their own fertilizer, making it cheaper for their farmers. Malawi can do the same,” he declared.
Mtumbuka explained that Malawi has abundant resources such as coal from Mchenga and Kaziwiziwi in Rumphi, which could be used to produce urea fertilizer through a process involving combustion, gasification, and water-to-gas shift reactions.
He detailed how locally available coal can help extract free nitrogen from the air to produce ammonia, which, when combined with carbon dioxide from burning coal, produces urea fertilizer.
Mtumbuka said the UTM government, led by presidential candidate Dalitso Kabambe, would allocate K500 billion annually to the agriculture sector.
Part of this funding, he added, would go towards building the fertilizer plant in Henga Valley, Rumphi District, where coal deposits are readily available.
“This will not only make fertilizer affordable but also strengthen our agriculture sector and food security,” Mtumbuka emphasized.
The announcement forms part of UTM’s broader agricultural transformation agenda as the party seeks to convince voters ahead of next month’s presidential election.
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