Fly poo boosts Malawi crop yields

[LILONGWE] As Fanny Ndhlovu and nine other farmers in her village watch their banana crop flourish, they also feel their dying farming practices rejuvenating.

For years, these farmers in Mzimba District in Northern Malawi have experienced steady decline in yields.

“Here, growing bananas and maize is our life but it has been hard in recent years because of declining production,” says Ndhlovu. “We have not had a way of reversing this decline.”

“The project will also support the production of high-quality animal feed,”

Maggie Munthali-Ngosi, research fellow, Mwapata Institute Lilongwe

The rise in prices of chemical fertiliser makes it difficult for many small-scale farmers to afford the input.

Those that are able to purchase the fertiliser still suffer dwindling productivity due to changing weather patterns and other factors, she says.

Magic fertiliser

“Honestly, we have been helpless about it until now, as it seems we have a solution to our crisis through this magic fertiliser,” Ndhlovu tells SciDev.Net.

That ‘magic fertiliser’ is a product of a project by the Mzuzu University in partnership with the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), which is aimed at strengthening Africa’s science granting councils, and Malawi’s National Commission for Science and Technology.

Researchers at the university investigated the use of black soldier fly waste, known as frass, rice husk biochar and coffee ground mixture to produce fertiliser.

The biochar is mixed with black soldier fly frass—which is rich in protein, calcium and potassium and other minerals —to create the fertiliser.

It then undergoes laboratory analysis for selected physical and chemical properties. The product is then left to dry before being packaged for storage or use.

Lead researcher Elija Wanda says the aim of the project is to solve soil degradation and avert decline in agricultural productivity in Malawi.

“There is need to provide a low cost, sustainable alternative to excessive use of synthetic fertilisers, which have significantly contributed to environmental degradation, greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution,” Wanda says.

A policy brief by Mwapata Institute, a local agriculture policy think tank, says nearly 40 percent of soils in Malawi are in poor health and they continue to degrade annually through loss of soil organic matter and acidification.

It estimates that due to soil degradation, Malawi is losing at least 2.3 million metric tons of maize annually. Maize is Malawi’s staple food crop.

Wanda says developing countries face the challenge of increasing food production to meet demand while reducing environmental impact through green technologies.

He says the project’s potential to reduce environmental harm by using waste productively and helping smallholder farmers improve productivity, income, and livelihoods.

The project involves training farmers in production and use of the fertiliser.

Ndhlovu is one of the two farmers from her village that were trained by the project.

“After the training, we shared the knowledge with other farmers in the village,” she says.

Wanda says black soldier fly farming is relatively new in Malawi and a majority of smallholder farmers may not be aware of the benefits of using sustainable organic fertilisers and protein-rich feed formulation.

Further, investment for setting up a black soldier fly farm and producing organic fertilisers can be high for small farmers.

However, those that embraced the technology have been reporting improved agriculture productivity and livelihoods at low cost.

“Black soldier fly farming can be done within a backyard but with huge potential to transform lives and the agriculture sector at large,” Wanda says.

Maggie Munthali-Ngosi, a research fellow at Mwapata Institute, says the study supports Malawi’s ten-year action plan on fertilizer and soil health, aimed at improving soil productivity and boosting agricultural output.

“The project will also support the production of high-quality animal feed,” she says.

With animal feed in Malawi currently accounting for 70 per cent of production costs due to the protein ingredient used in feed manufacturing, black soldier fly offers cost-effective and high-quality alternative protein ingredients for both fish and animal feed production, she says.

Munthali-Ngosi, who was not involved in this research, led a similar study in 2023 which analysed the costs and benefits of black soldier fly as an alternative animal and fish feed ingredient in Malawi.

She says both studies offer evidence-based solutions to Malawi’s pressing issues of soil fertility, waste management and food security.

“If policymakers can fully understand the benefits and challenges of black soldier fly farming, they can eventually develop supportive regulations and incentives to promote its widespread adoption,” she says.

The project has generated vital information for the promotion of low-cost and sustainable organic fertiliser as well as livestock feed production in Malawi.

Currently, the researchers are working on a formulation for the fertiliser to be in both solid and liquid forms and on a feed for starters, growers and finishers.

To scale up adoption, Wanda suggests training and awareness for more farmers and extension agents, continuous research to improve on initial findings and formulation of regulatory frameworks that promote the use of sustainable organic fertilisers and protein-rich feed formulations.

In Ndhlovu’s village, the healthy-looking banana crop is inspiring hope.

She and her colleague recruited eight other farmers in the village and they opened a farm where they planted bananas to try the fertiliser.

“From what we are seeing, we have found an answer to our declining farming,” Ndhlovu says. “What we need is a little support for us to produce enough fertilisers for us to take off. We are sure we will be able to take care of ourselves from that point,” she says.

This article was written by Charles Mpaka.