By Dyson Mthawanji
Participants of the Integrated Adult Education (IAE) classes in Mchinji district- Malawi, have turned to production of organic fertiliser called Mbeya amid rising costs of inorganic fertiliser. The participants learn this skill in the IAE classes which DVV International is implementing in collaboration with the Malawi Government mainly through the National Centre for Adult Literacy and Education (NACLAE).
Under IAE, participants learn modern agriculture, good health and environmental management in additional to acquiring literacy and numeracy skills.
Mbeya fertiliser, also known as compost fertiliser, is an organic fertiliser made from a mixture of maize bran, animal manure, ash, and a small quantity of chemical fertiliser. It's a cost-effective and locally sourced alternative to chemical fertilisers, especially for smallholder farmers in Malawi. The fertiliser is prepared by mixing the ingredients, allowing them to ferment for 21 days, and then drying it before application.
In Malawi there is a rise in fertiliser prices and soil productivity is dwindling. Thus, the Mbeya production under IAE brings hope among smallholder farmers at Traditional Authority Mkanda in Mchinji district.
One of the farmers who is taking part in the project, Clara Moffart, hailed Mbeya saying it has proved to be good and cheap.
Chemical fertiliser has become exorbitant. A small-scale farmer like me cannot afford a single bag. With our fields highly degraded, you can’t expect anything good from our sweat. I use Mbeya fertiliser because it is rich in nutrients needed to improve and maintain soil structure, texture, colour, depth, aeration and fertility.
It is easy to make and we want this initiative to be implemented across the district and beyond. That way, we can achieve food security and break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
Smallholder farmers constitute 80 percent of the country’s workforce in Malawi. Most of them grapple with poverty, making farm inputs, especially fertiliser, unaffordable for them. Therefore, their success in agriculture is a stepping stone in Malawi's struggling economy.
A new multi-country study by the International Food Policy Research Institute revealed that Malawian farmers harvest just four to seven kilogrammes (kg) of maize per kg of nitrogen fertiliser compared to yields of up to 15kg in Nigeria and Ghana, where limited subsidy programmes are in place.
Agriculture economist and development expert Tamani Nkhono-Mvula was recently quoted by The Nation newspaper, attributing the low fertiliser efficiency in Malawi to land degeradation. He argues that hybrid-organic options such as Mbeya fertiliser can restore productivity while building long-term resilience.
Encouraging the use of organic fertiliser is not just about productivity, it’s about resilience. Organic inputs improve soil microbial activity. enhance moisture retention and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, all key elements of climate-smart agriculture.
In the 2025/26 National Budget, the Malawi Government allocated K131.6 billion ($77,647,058) to the Affordable Inputs Programme. If Mbeya production is promoted across the country, the government will definitely save on fertiliser purchase.
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Centre for Research and Development Director Innocent Pangapanga Phiri told The Nation newspaper that to reverse declining soil fertility organic fertiliser should be treated not just as an agricultural issue, but one that ties into rural development, youth employment and soil health.
Chritone Nyondo, a research fellow at the Mwapata Institute, pointed that most of Malawi’s soils have low organic content, making them particularly responsive to Mbeya fertliser.
When applied to degraded soils, Mbeya significantly improves fertility.
Currently, a 50kg bag of Mbeya fertliser sells at MK56,000 ($33), far below the MK149,000 ($88) price of chemical fertliser.
DVV International is implementing IAE in four districts namely Mchinji, Ntcheu, Dowa and Ntchisi, all in the Central Region of Malawi.