By Chimwemwe Mangazi:
Seed producer Bayer has indicated that farmers in the country would have a diverse portfolio of farm inputs once its merger with Mosanto Malawi is completed.
Last year, the German drugs and crop chemicals company bought stakes in the United States seeds firm, Monsanto, at $63 billion, and the two companies are merging.
Speaking at a field day the company organised in Lilongwe to showcase performance of its latest maize variety DK 777, Bayer Malawi Country Manager, Gift Kawamba, said farmers should expect a one-stop shop for seed and chemical requirements.
“We will bring all these products and services closer to the farmer at an affordable price. We continued with extensive research on the current environmental conditions and we brought a new hybrid to the market dubbed DK 777; it produces more and is tolerant to diseases and climatic conditions,” Kawamba said.
Deputy Director for Crop Development in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Eviness Nyalugwe, said the new variety had proven viable for the country.
“I am impressed with what Bayer is doing, especially on high-yielding varieties,” Nyalugwe said.
Nyalugwe said such varieties are helping smallholder farmers to harvest more from a small land.
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