By Ernest KISSIEDU
At a time when millions of Ghanaian farmers are struggling with soils that are poor in nutrients and organic matter, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and partners have developed and introduced a US$700,000 multi-purpose project to produce compost fertilizer from fecal sludge.
The product, which is called Fortifer, is selling on the Ghanaian market for GHC25 per 50-kilogramme bag. Presently, many farmers keep rushing to buy more of the fertilizer after realizing how potent it is, according to Martha Annan, Fortifer Plant Manager.
“Many of the farmers who have tried the Fortifer are convinced that it’s a good product. They keep rushing to our offices for a lot more to buy,” she revealed recently when a group of Journalists toured the production site at Borteyman, near Nungua Farms in Accra, as part of activities marking this year’s World Water Day celebrations. The tour was put together by the national planning committee of the World Water Day celebration in Ghana, under the auspices of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water.
The product is produced from the first ever organic fertilizer producing plant in Ghana, which was established through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement facilitated by the IWMI. The PPP partners are the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and Jekora Ventures Limited, a waste management company. They were supported by the Training, Research and Networking for Development (TREND) and funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Department for International Development, UK (DFID), the Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
Demand and Supply
Managers of the plant posit that the Fortifer recovers nutrients and organic matter to condition soils and increase yields.
Plant Manager Annan said demand was outstripping supply. “When they (farmers) come and you tell them that it’s finished, they don’t believe you and try to blame you for selling out the Fortifer to your favourite farmers. They think we are bias and don’t want them to have more to buy,” she stated.
In order to sustain supply, the funds realized after the sale of the fertilizers is ploughed back into the production of more of the fertilizers.
“It is very sustainable because the product has been on high demand by a lot of farmers. We sent the Fortifer to some farmers for trials at Tuba, Weija, Kpong, and Klagoon in the Greater Accra Region and also in Sunyani (Brong Ahafo). Interestingly, the feedbacks we have from these farmers are very good,” Annan explained.
She believes that farmers now appreciate the use of organic fertilizers, hence the need to produce more of the Fortifer fertilizers.
Supporting, Akua Akyaa Nkrumah, Innovations Manager at Jekora Ventures Limited, noted that the introduction of the Fortifer on the Ghanaian market will be revolutionary because it serves as a means of managing sanitation, whilst offering nutrients to farmers based on local input and technology.
“It gives us the platform to see how best we can address more of the sanitation challenges in the country,” she noted.
On her part, Dr. Josaine Nikiema, the Sub-Theme Leader of Water Quality and Safe Water Reuse at IWMI, said market research had confirmed that there was large potential demand for this fertilizer among farmers in Ghana.
She is hopeful that the project would create jobs, enhance food security, reduce risks to public health as well as ensure a cleaner and healthier environment.
“It will also help in contributing to cost recovery in the sanitation chain and supporting the development of green economies,” Dr. Nikiema projected.
IWMI developed the fertilizer compost project together with Jekora Ventures, The Tema Metropolitan Assembly.
