By Joshua Williams Orwell Jr.
Malawi’s leading certified crops seed company, Seed Co has introduced a new Vitamin A Bio-fortified Orange hybrid maize seed in response to the climate change that has resulted in most farmers harvesting low yields.
Agronomist at the company Joseph Mukona revealed to the Malavi Post that the new hybrid seed can even grow in lower rainfall areas remarking that farmers can expect to harvest the crop after 3 months and the seed produce 5-7 tons per hectare.
“The exciting thing about this new hybrid seed is that it has the much needed Vitamin A and can be grown in most places across the country. It’s like the white maize only that this new vitamin A Bio-fortified orange hybrid maize seed is a medium maturity variety seed.” Said Joseph Mukona.
The new Vitamin A Bio-fortified Orange Hybrid Maize seed matures early and produces double or multiple cobs. Mukono further disclosed that the crop can be grown in both summer and winter revealing that the maize is drought tolerant.
The Vitamin A Bio-fortified Orange hybrid Maize seed is currently available in all the country’s cities including some districts like Balaka at all Seed Co outlets.
Malawi is one of the countries hit worst by the effects of climate change and recently the country witnessed the outbreak of fall army worm which originates from South America and has devastated a lot of field in the country.
As one way of countering this deadly pest, the Ministry of Agriculture has been encouraging farmers to grow crops which mature early to avoid incurring heavy losses because of the climate change.
