Africa-Press – Uganda. Dei Group International, a Ugandan conglomerate has launched a new fertilizer product that it says will revolutionalise farming in Uganda.
Named Organic New Earth(O.N.E), the new fertilizer product was launched at a function held at Mestil Hotel in Kampala.
Speaking during the function, Jimmy Shelock, the CEO of Dei Organics International Limited said the fertilizer marks a new chapter in supporting Ugandan farmers and the agricultural sector at large.
“Fertilisers are oil- based products but Organic New Earth is totally organic. This fertilizer feeds the soil and the soil in turn feeds the plant as God intended it to be. This is a purely organic treatment that will take and make our plants truly organic,” Shelock said.
Herbert Gasasira, the Operations and Quality Manager for Dei Organic International explained that the fertiliser is a soil amendment product.
“It is made through compositing chicken manure and green waste which are all natural to make the fertilizer. It is meant to nourish the soil. We have had instances of over using synthetic fertilizers which spoil the soil but this product comes to heal the soil and put back what it has lost,”Gasasira said.
“This is unique since it focuses on taking the soil back to where it used to be. It doesn’t focus on any specific plants but soil so that it can be able to support all types of plants.”
The commissioner in charge of crop production in the Ministry of Agriculture, Alex Lwakuba said with the growing demand for organic food around the world, the new fertilizer will help boost Uganda’s agriculture.
“The demand for safe and hazard free food in the world is increasing day by day. Uganda is an agricultural country and desires to transform from peasantry to modernity but also need to make money/ Organic agriculture makes money since it is market-oriented farming system as it doesn’t encourage inputs from chemical and synthetic materials but pesticides from natural items. We need to rise and harness the global market waiting for us. Having organic fertilisers like this one will greatly contribute to this cause,” Lwakuba said.
Shalton Namuwoza, the Chief Executive Officer at National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda said there is a major gap in the production of organic foods in not only Uganda but the world at large, noting that with such innovations like organic fertilisers, the organic food movement is boosted.
“This product will support Uganda’s goal of becoming not just a food basket but a food basket of organic produce in Africa. Africa can feed the world if we produce innovative products such as this and make them available to farmers,” Namuwoza said.
Dr. Matthias Magoola, the founder and Managing Director of Dei Group said the fertilizer is unique, produced using technology from a US company known for products that reduce carbon footprint
“When you use this fertilizer and link up with the market of the US to sell agricultural products, this will change the fortunes of our country,” Dr.Magoola said.
He said his company has ben allowed by the US company to export the fertilizer to West Africa, noting that this means boosting Uganda’s exports.
“We want to export to markets where it has not been possible to export before.”
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