By Levison Lester
Marketing and Sales Manager at EcoGen Malawi, Mphatso Gama, has said a biogas technology aligns well with Malawi’s Agenda 2063, noting that the technology manages wastes sustainably when it comes to tackling climate change in the country.
Speaking in an interview, Gama said many farmers can be food secure if biogas technology is adopted in the country, as it produces fertiliser which has proven to be more efficient and affordable.
“Our biogas technology produces a high quality bio-fertiliser which further mitigates climate change and lessen forex challenges. We targeted farmers after witnessing a price hike in chemical fertilisers which affected most smallholder farmers.
“Through the production of bio-fertiliser, the Malawi Government can be cushioned on huge expenditures and forex issues incurred when importing chemical fertilisers. Promotion of technologies such as biogas can ensure a self-reliant nation come 2063,” Gama said.
She further said the energy sector needs allocation of more technological and innovative resources that will promote sustainability in addressing aftershocks brought by climate change in the country.
Gama noted that the banning of charcoal use is not the best solution, saying government should rather promote best alternatives like biogas that can work best in educating the masses and how such alternatives can be easily accessed.
In his remarks, founder of Clips Farming Enterprise (CFE), Patrick Jere, said transitioning to bio-digester technology is advantageous as it helps farmers to have bumper yields without spending money on buying chemical fertilisers, which is commonly used in the country.
Jere also underscored that bio-digester is a hygienic waste management system and that the bio-fertiliser produced makes crops more resilient to drought.
“Use of liquid bio-fertilisers is more efficient than the use of compost manure and more economical than the use of chemical fertilisers. Clips Farming Enterprise no longer uses any chemical fertilisers,” he said.
Meanwhile, EcoGen Malawi has so far worked with over 12,000 farmers and installed 500 biogas systems across 20 districts in the country.
