The Green Revolution in a Bottle: Paramount Holdings Unveils Game-Changing Nano Fertilizer in Malawi
In a nation grappling with economic headwinds and a persistent shortage of foreign exchange, a silent revolution is brewing in the agricultural heartland. Paramount Holdings, a prominent player in Malawi’s business landscape, recently showcased its “Eagle Nano Urea” at the National Youth Summit, promising a paradigm shift in farming practices and national economics. This isn’t just about bigger yields; it’s about fundamentally rethinking how a landlocked nation feeds itself and manages its precious resources.
Paramount Holdings Managing Director Prakash Ghedia articulated the dire need for such innovation. “In this current situation, your question is very valuable because we are struggling with the economy and shortage of forex,” he began, painting a stark picture of Malawi’s reliance on imports and the hefty financial burden of transportation.
“Malawi is spending a lot of money, a lot of forex on importing things. We don’t have a port. It means we are paying a lot of dollars to the shipping companies and the transporters who are transporting from Beira and Salaam to Lilongwe, Malawi.”
The solution, according to Ghedia, comes in a deceptively small package: a 500ml bottle of Eagle Nano Urea, which astonishingly, is equivalent to a 50kg bag of traditional granular urea.
The implications for a country like Malawi are staggering. Ghedia illustrated with a compelling example: importing 20,000 bags of granular urea typically requires 77 shipping containers. The same amount of Eagle Nano Urea fits into just one container.
“You are saving for 76 containers, forex cost, transport cost, you are saving a lot of fuel, because fuel is also a very valuable product for our country,” he emphasized, highlighting the cascading benefits for the national treasury and the environment.
Beyond the macro-economic advantages, the nano fertilizer offers profound benefits at the farm level.
Agronomist Samson Munthali elaborated on the scientific marvel behind the product.
“This fertilizer is special, it is unique, it is a game changer, in the sense that it is different from the traditional urea fertilizer.”
Unlike granular urea, which is applied to the soil, Eagle Nano Urea is sprayed directly onto plant leaves, resulting in an impressive 90% absorption efficiency, compared to a mere 60% for traditional methods. This direct absorption minimizes nutrient loss and significantly reduces environmental pollution through volatilization and soil acidification. “It does not lead to high acidity. It does not increase the pH of the soil,” Munthali asserted, underscoring its ecological advantages.
Hrushika Ghedia, Business Development Manager at Paramount Holdings, highlighted the direct financial gains for farmers.
“One 500ml, half litre bottle is only K65,000, and it covers one acre of land,” she stated, noting that this is almost 50% cheaper than traditional granular fertilizer, which can cost K140,000 per bag. The convenience extends beyond cost; farmers no longer need vast storage spaces for bulky bags or laborious transport.
“Fifty bottles you can carry on the bicycle,” Prakash Ghedia quipped, emphasizing the logistical ease. The application process is similarly streamlined, requiring only a 16-liter pump for spraying, a stark contrast to the back-breaking labor of traditional granular application.
The benefits don’t stop there. Eagle Nano Urea promises an 8% to 18% increase in crop yield and an impressive 24% boost in farmer profits. It also allows for the simultaneous application of herbicides and pesticides, further simplifying farm management and reducing labor.
Looking to the future, Paramount Holdings envisions a complete transformation of Malawi’s agricultural sector. Prakash Ghedia revealed ambitious plans:
“If this is accepted widely in the mega firms, NEEF, and also AIP, and the Ministry of Agriculture, then we are planning to put even a manufacturing plant in Malawi.” A “made in Malawi” nano fertilizer could not only serve the domestic market but also position the country as a regional hub, exporting to neighboring Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique.
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