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New cotton pesticide to boost production

Auction Holdings Limited (AHL) group has said the introduction of a new pesticide to fight bollworms in cotton will help the country save foreign exchange because most of the chemicals currently in use are imported.

AHL Chemicals and Steel Limited, a subsidiary of AHL group, has launched a locally manufactured pesticide known as Dettamax which is expected to help farmers increase their yields.

AHL group finance executive Stonie Chadzunda said the company is determined to help farmers maximise profits from their produce; hence, the introduction of new pesticides on the market.

Apart from Dettamax, the company also manufactures Wivokil, a grain protector which is being exported to Zambia.

“As a country, we are not doing well because we import almost everything. Compared to other countries around us, we are the lowest forex generators and yet we have the potential to do well. As AHL, we decided to introduce locally made pesticides for use by our farmers so that they can harvest more cotton,” he said.

Chadzunda was speaking in Lilongwe last week when AHL group presented K600 000 (about $15 000) to the Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama) for their annual conference which began yesterday in Mangochi.

Ecama executive director Nelson Mkandawire said it is high time the country looked at alternative ways of generating forex because tobacco, the country’s main forex earner, is facing a bleak future.

“There is a lot that Malawi can do to generate forex. Look at our agriculture, tourism and even the mining sector. These are areas that have great potential but are underfunded.

“Our public sector is not vibrant and with corruption taking centre stage, we cannot move forward,” he said.

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