Govt, Pyxus, Alliance One partnership bearing fruits in promoting agronomy
Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale has commended groundnuts buying and processing company Pyxus Agriculture Limited and its sister company Alliance One Tobacco for coming up with various agronomy-based research innovations which aims at improving both large and smallholder crop production across the country.
Kawale made the remarks on Thursday after touring various agronomy-based research activities which Pyxus Agriculture in collaboration with Alliance One Tobacco are carrying out at Mpale Farm based at Madisi in Dowa District.
According to Kawale, the research activities which the two companies are conducting at the site will help both large and smallholder farmers across the country to start growing improved crop varieties that can give them high yields and, in the process, realize more profits at the market as well as improve food security at both national and household levels.
“I’m impressed with all the research activities which Pyxus and Alliance One are doing here at Mpale estate, as you know these are two companies our biggest partners in the two value chains of groundnuts and tobacco. So after this visit, we will go back and see how we can continue to collaborate with them from the research point of view up to the production as well as the market,” said Kawale.
He added that he was also impressed with the different crop production technologies which the two companies are advocating to farmers across the country among them being growing groundnuts in double rows as well as applying chemicals such as inoculants, fertilizer and fungicides to the crops in-order to get more yields during harvest.
“As government we are pleased to note that the private sector is ready to work with us by among others coming up with various solutions and actively invest and make sure that we are moving forward and ensure that the country is resilient to climate shocks and other challenges that may rise due to impacts of climate change,” Kawale said.
In his remarks Pyxus Managing Director Ronald Ngwira said the two companies thought it wise to invite the agriculture minister and other senior officials from his ministry in order for them to appreciate some of the innovations which they are trying in tobacco production and other agronomy-based research activities that aim at improving the local agriculture sector.
According to Ngwira, Pyxus in collaboration with Alliance One are also doing different research trials on a number of crops such as groundnuts, wheat, soy bean and forestry among others which aim at improving crop production to both large and smallholder farmers across the country.
“We are doing a number of research trials here so through Tobacco Commission we thought it wise to invite the minister to come and appreciate these activities because our aim is to collaborate with government in enhancing modern technologies of crop production especially that of tobacco, groundnuts, wheat and soy bean among many others,” said Ngwira.
According to Ngwira, this farming season, his company has signed agreements with about 10,000 smallholder farmers across the country who have cultivated the crop under contract arrangements as well as other large-scale farmers who have also grown groundnuts on Pyxus owned land under its In-Grower program.
“In addition to our 10,000 contracted smallholder farmers, we have also introduced the In-Grower program in which we have given land to some farmers in some of our farms including here at Mpale to grow groundnuts on a larger-scale basis which they will eventually sell to us upon harvesting,” Ngwira disclosed.
He disclosed that nowadays legumes such as groundnuts and soy bean need to be cultivated using modern farming technologies, prime among them being planting fast mature varieties on double rows, applying crop boosting chemicals such as inoculants and fertilizer as well as applying pesticides and fungicides on time among others.
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