Young farmer develops cost-effective biofertilizer for Eastern Cape farmers

A young farmer from Tsolo in the Eastern Cape, Nkululeko Ngqinambi, has created a cost effective biofertilizer to assist farmers in the province who have been struggling with high fertilizer prices.

The biofertilizer is a combination of four indigenous species of mycorrhizal fungi. It improves the plant’s ability to efficiently absorb and use nutrients and water from the soil.

Ngqambi says the idea was motivated by his mother and other local farmers that were battling with high costing fertilizers.

“The fertilizer that we produce, the key ingredient is mycorrhizal fungi, and the carrier substance is activated carbon which is an activated biocha, in a nutshell. So, we grow the seeds of the mycorrhizal fungi using a horse plant and we harvest the seeds, and we activate them so that they are ready to be used and then we package them in 25 kilograms of biocha that cost R395 to the farmer.”

Mhlontlo Local Municipality Deputy Director, Hozani Wedu-wedu, says this is a great innovation.

“This has impact in terms of increasing the yield in production, which is what we want. If you can imagine now, we are talking about agriculture as a business. This will yield opportunities, high employment within the youth, which is what we are facing. Here in South Africa there is unemployment…those things will start to be tackled.” -Report by Sinethemba Witi