Asanah Farms

One of the biggest challenge in agriculture is Uncertainty.

We don't know whether it will rain at all.
We don't know whether it will rain for a bit.
We don't know whether it will rain rain too much.

We don't know whether the price will be right.
We don't know whether the price will be high.
We don't know whether the price will be low.

Everything is done in faith.

Maize Agronomy

Credits: Mudhumeni Mukuru 🇿🇼

"There Is No Better Fertilizer Than A Farmer's Footsteps" Colle and Phyllis Davis

As the 2021- 2022 cropping season is now in full swing, farmers need to know that there is no better fertilizer than a farmer's footsteps.

The moral of this adages is that when you are interacting with the crops and livestock you are raising, you become very attuned to each plant and each animal and you are acutely aware of their needs on a daily basis. That way, you avoid catastrophes on the farm.

The saying also aims to minister to absentee and telephone farmers. Sometimes, the reason we have perpetual problems is because the owner is absent. Visiting a farm once in a month or not at all: only getting farm updates via the phone. There are a lot of weekend and telephone farmers that end up in incessant lamentations.

We can avoid that by periodically going round your farm and paying attention to all the crops and livestock on the farm.The tendency of weekly or monthly arriving at the farm, ask a few questions to your workers and zoom off is a huge recipe for disaster.

We are wishing everyone a successful 2021-22 cropping season.

N.B: Images from our previous cropping season.

As the rainy season approaches, every farmer is thinking about what crop to produce and which variety will provide a great yield with less risk. For groundnut farmers in Malawi, CG9 is the answer. For a long time CG7 has been a preferred groundnut variety, owing to its large seed size and high fat oil content, which results into higher returns at the market. Unfortunately, erratic rainfall has rendered CG7 susceptible to Groundnut Rosette Disease, making it a risky choice for farmers. CG9 (created as an improvement from CG7) is rosette resistant, higher yielding, early maturing and relatively drought tolerant helping farmers to increase their profits while reducing risk. Certified CG9 seed is available from Asanah Farms at K2000/kg; Negotiable.
Contacts: 0997 365 756.
Location: Lilongwe.

- Certification by the Seed Services Unit(Chitedze research station) Available.

We have Certified Shelled Groundnuts seed available for sale.

*Variety*: CG9.
*Price*: 1800/kg.
*Location*: Lilongwe.
*Quantity*: 50 bags.
*Contact*: 0997 365 756

Agriculture remains the mainstay of Malawi’s economy, accounting for about 30 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generating over 80 percent of national export earnings (Annual Economic Report, 2015). In any agricultural production systems, seed of high quality remains the MOST CRITICAL input and must be accessible and affordable when required. The Government of Malawi recognizes the importance of high quality seed of improved crop varieties for improved productivity, food and nutrition security.

The government established the Seed Services Unit (SSU) in the Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development (MoAIWD) as the official seed certification office in 1976. The Unit guided by the 2018 seed Act is mandated to ensure that high quality seed of improved crop varieties is produced and made available to the farming community. The main SSU is located at Chitedze Research Station in Lilongwe, where its seed testing laboratory is accredited to the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). Three satellites SSU were established at Lunyangwa Research Station in the North, Lifuwu Research Station along the lake shore and Bvumbwe Research Station in the South to cater for seed producers in the three regions.

The Growth of Seed Industry

Malawi has seen increase in number of industry players since 2005 with the introduction government input subsidy program where resource poor farmers are targeted to access fertilizer and seed at subsidized price.

To respond to increased seed demand, the number of seed companies has increased to 32 from just 5 in 2005. There has also been increase in number of agrodealers to handle the increased volume of seed due to the farm input subsidy program.

On average 1.5million ha is put under maize grain production and 180 thousand ha beans and groundnuts each and about a 150 thousand ha of Soya. These are main crops whose seeds are bought by farmers in huge volumes. There are also promising crops that are being promoted such as sunflower, chickpeas sesame etc. The market also exists in vegetable sub sector as all seeds are being imported.

SEED LAWS, POLICIES AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

A number of antagonistic policies and laws impinge upon growth of the seed industry in Malawi. A coordinated, complementary and synergistic policy environment is critical for attracting investment in the sector. Some laws promote while others are a disincentive to investments in the seed sector and agriculture in general. Seed Policy (2018), seeks to enhance appropriate and effective seed regulatory framework, enhance seed quality assurance for better performance of agriculture, and establish reliable and internationally acceptable seed certification system. This is in line with revised seed regulations which are aligned to SADC and COMESA Seed harmonized regulations. Aims at smoothening seed trade across the borders.
......To be continued.

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Images of our harvest of CG9 Groundnuts that's awaiting hand shelling, grading then testing (certification) to produce certified seed.

Some images of our maize harvest.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
1 Corinthians 3:8 KJV

Scratch Card Seed Packet Label.

Besides more unpredictable weather, changing crop diseases and pests, and ever increasing production costs.Malawian farmers face another worry: FAKE SEED!

Seed sold as something other than it is - the wrong variety or with the wrong characteristics, sometimes marketed with a falsified certificate of authenticity - can make the difference between a bumper crop and a failed harvest.

Counterfeit seed has over the years been produced by very sophisticated operators, lured by the opportunity to make quick cash during the rush of the planting season, often working in concert with rogue agro-dealers who agree to sell the counterfeit seed.

But; From the 2021-2022 cropping season, Farmers will be able to verify genuine certified seed, by using a unique scratch card seed label, which will be on every individual retail seed pack.

All a farmer needs to do is:

1. Gently scratch the scratch card
2. Send the Code on the scratch card as an
SMS message to a toll-free number "3015" for both Airtel and TNM numbers.
3. Code is recognized if seed is genuine.
4. The Farmer receives a message as a responce containing:
- Name of Seed company
- Crop name and variety
- Size of seed pack
- Date the seed was tested
- Seedlot number
5. If the code is not recognized, it implies that seed is:
-Fake
- Code not activated
The farmer is not supposed to buy such seed and is encouraged to report to the authorities.
Nthawi yogula mbeu ya fake yatha!

Images credit: Dryland seed company
Seedco Kenya.
Kenya seed company.

As the world commemorates world Labour day, we wish to share our experience in handling Farm labour force. Managing or simply writing about labour is difficult and sensitive as it involves emotions and fellow human beings who are unpredictable and emotional.

Labour is one of the production factors in an enterprise. And,like all other production factors,calls for thorough planning, organisation, implementation and
control. Labour management is aimed at the efficient use of human resources and therefore increased labour productivity. Labour efficiency in agriculture refers to the amount of productive work accomplished per man on the farm per unit of time.In general,the higher the labour efficiency,the greater are the returns from farming and more leisure time for the farmer and his employees.

The farm owner must always know that s/he is the FIRST and NUMBER 1 farm worker. And, the success or failure of a farming Enterprise depends on the manner one handles farm labour. Human resource management is, therefore, a key performance indicator on the part of the farm owner/manager.

As we continue our farming journey; There are alot of decisions and management skills, that we still need to learn and hone our skills to become a better managed farming enterprises:
1. More relatively Younger Vs More Older personnel?
2. More Women Vs More men Vs Gender balance?
3. More married Vs Not married labourforce?
4. More Labour from within the farm Vs from distant villages?
5. Strictly no female must come with a child Vs allow female to bring their small children? (sensitive)

Being a good and generous farm owner does not automatically translate into having good workers. Even the best of generosity can be taken advantage of. It does not, however, mean that one has to be extremely harsh; always hurling ridicules and belittling the farm workers. This is, also, not to say you must entertain laziness, insurbodination and incompetence.

Additionally, One needs to be a knowledgeable farm owner. Embarking on a farming enterprise with no knowledge about the subject matter is a precursor for a disaster. Workers need to have confidence in one's ability to lead.

Again, appearing to be always right even when you know you have little knowledge is disastrous. You may be a good banker, accountant, lawyer etc. But, when it comes to farming, learn to humble yourself and consult on matters you may not be compentent and conversant with. Some labourers, with humble education backgrounds, have extensive knowledge that can help reach your farming goals.

Having a farm in a rural area presents its own set of challenges and opportunities, In some areas people opt to be paid with food(maize) and not cash. This can be advantageous as one can save costs.

One needs to be aware of certain traditions and culture of an area.We had a scenario, where we had to delay spraying pesticides to control fall armyworms for 5 days, as there were two funerals nearby. A five-day delay to control fall armyworms can be devastating. But; we had no choice!
Funerals are so sensitive in any rural community. Unlike in urban areas, where people just send money, presence absolutely matters in rural areas. When there is a funeral, almost all the workers would want to attend. Somehow, people in rural areas keep a register of who attends funerals. And, they have their own punishment for the ones that don't attend.

Issues to do with labour are complex and this post is not exhaustive. There are alot of dimensions that one needs to consider. Amongst all factors of production (land, labour, capital, entrepreneurial ability), Labour is probably the most difficult!

"No work is insignificant, all labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and, should be taken with painstaking excellence"- Martin Luther King Jnr.
Pictures below are of randon activities at the farm when maize was at an early stage.
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As the 2020/21 cropping season is slowly coming to an end, We wish to share our opinion on some important aspects of production in a farming enterprise:

Based on our experience, our view is that, it is much easier to fix aspects related to OPEX, like labour, fertliser and seed, inputs etc. But, production infrastructure aka CAPEX is not something you can fix easily and quickly. CAPEX costs money!

CAPEX:
Capital expenditures, are purchases of major and long term expenses, that will be used to improve a farms performance in the future. Capital expenditures are typically for fixed assets like property, land and machinery.
One of the defining features of capital expenditures is longevity: meaning the purchases benefit the farm for longer than one accounting year /cropping season.

OPEX:
Operating expenses, are costs a farm incurs for running its day-to-day operations. These expenses must be ordinary and customary in the farming enterprise one is involved in. Examples include labour wages, costs of inputs: fertilizer, seeds, pesticides etc.

Our approach: To first have resources to cater for the operating expenses (OPEX) of the various farming enterprises we are involved in. Then, acquire CAPEX as we progress in the subsequent years.

For this reason, we are currently operating on leased land at an idle farm in Mchinji. There are alot of such idle farms in malawi!

The beauty of such land is, it comes like some kind of plug and play and u immediately hit the ground running. You have no headaches of setting up base infrastructure. Base infrastructure, is infrastructure that is absolutely critical for the kind of agribusiness venture one is involved in: warehouses/stores, water, houses,tobacco barns, irrigation systems etc.

With leased land, you also do not have the luxury of doing experiments i.e jumping from tomatoes 🍅 to chilli 🌶 then maize🌽 to Groundnuts on to goats 🐐 . One needs a farming enterprise that has gone past proof of concept with a guaranteed and secure market. The farming enterprise must start earning money immediately to generate capital for the growth of the agribusiness.

Undeniably; The best form of farm land is the one you own. That is because, a farm in its infancy has plenty headaches, so best that you are experiencing such headaches on land that you own.

The vision; is for Asanah Farms to own land in the near future.

Images below 👇show land where we grew our maize and Groundnuts. Images were taken after completion of land preparation(tillage)
"When tillage begins, other arts follow. Farmers, therefore, are founders of human civilization"- Daniel Webster.
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Go back to your templates/ budgets and adjust the production costs upward by 15%!. That's what Dr Akinwumi Adesina really meant, when he said the next billionaires in Africa will be farmers.

The cost of production will get so high that, the "peasant" farmers will be edged out with time, the slightest breath of growth in their venture will be squeezed out to the point that they can't breathe...they won't farm for profits but for the stomach.

The millionaires will take charge of the industry and produce, but before then, using their machinery, try and bring "sanity" in the industry w.r.t prices ,thus make the projected profits (even the former farmers will need to eat anyway) Thus, the millionaires will become billionaires.The general cost of production has gone up by almost 20%.

The production of Groundnuts CG9
Certified seed, has changed our thinking and approach towards agribusiness.

In farming/Agropreneurship, One must be ready for anything and everything. They're a lot of risks involved, as this is a biological enterprise. And, crop growth largely depends on nature. To maintain field hygiene, Weeding has been done three times. Further stretching the budget, as this was never anticipated!

It is only practice that avails lessons, relevant information and set a Solid knowledge base in agribusiness.

Day 104
Variety: CG9(Basic Seed)
Seed Source: Global Seeds
Innoculant: Logotech Biofertilizers

Fall Armyworm (spodoptera frungiperda) is a devastating trans-boundary pest of Maize. The pest displays a wide host range attacking over 80 different plant species including major crops e.g. Cotton, Groundnuts, Sorghum, Wheat, Potatoes, Soyas. Its polyphagous nature present challenges in management due to the presence of alternative hosts outside the production season of main crops. So far, losses due to confirmed/suspected infestations of FAW in Maize, Sorghum, Rice & sugarcane in African countries have been estimated at USD13.38 billion (CABI, 2017).

Loss of yields of major food crops will have dire consequences on livelihoods of people in affected regions of Africa. FAW is migratory in nature & moths fly for over 100km/Night. The FAW caterpillar attacks all stages of Maize growth i.e. Seedling, vegetative, tasseling & grain filling stages.

MONITORING & MANAGEMENT OPTIONS: Deep ploughing exposes pupae to sun, birds & insects. Early planting. Boosting crop growth vigour to withstand infestation & damage. Scouting - early detection of the pest allows quick & timely response. Destroy the eggs, larvae & pupae in the crop residues after harvest by deep burying plant residues in soil (at least 12cm deep). Practice crop rotation - alternate Maize with crops that are not attacked by FAW e.g.
Cassava. Intercropping with pigeon pea, beans. Groundnuts can attract more beneficial insects & can help repel FAW & control other weeds. If you notice the number of eggs or caterpillars are few, handpick & crush them (small gardens or few affected plants). FAW is food for certain birds & insects. Growing trees, hedgerows & a variety of crops helps increase the number of these predators that can feed on the FAW & will help to reduce infestation in the farm.

When to apply pesticides:
If you find 10/50 randomly selected Maize plants are affected then start spraying with the recommended/right pesticides. For the pesticides to be effective, you must spray early in the morning: From 6:00-10:00am or late afternoon 3:00-6:00pm provided the conditions are favorable for spraying because FAW actively feeds at night. Spray using the cone-shaped nozzle as this will target the plant & the maize funnel.

ALWAYS remember to alternate insecticides with different modes of action to avoid
development of pesticide resistance. Always use a clean pump & clean water for mixing the insecticides Coming in during early stages of caterpillar dvpt (not later than 3rd instar) ensures successful control. Hence need for religious scouting. Many farmers come in late when the larvae have grown & resist pesticides.
Scout, scout, scout & control timely for best results!

CG9 (ICGV-SM 08503) is a relatively new groundnut variety for improved resilience and market competitiveness. It is a medium duration Virginia variety, matures between 120-130 days, and is well adapted to mid-altitude agro-ecology(760-1300masl)

When fully adopted, it is likely to skew the odds back in the farmer’s favor, as it is early maturing and resistant to Groundnut Rosette Disease(GRD) and other foliar diseases, hence responsive to challenges associated with the GG7 and other varieties.

An important part of Asanah Farms is multiplying QUALITY SEED for farmers in Malawi and beyond. Seed is a basic input in agriculture!

Day 68
Variety: CG9 basic seed.
Size: 10 hectares.

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Progress on our 40 hectare seed multiplication.
Location: Nthyolansenje, Mkanda, Mchinji.
Size: 40 hectares.
Day 66.
Variety: ZM623
Crop Nutrition: Superfert Fertilizers
Crop Protection: Osho Chemicals.

Cobbing is in progress.
As expected, we experienced an infestation by fallarmy worms but that was successfully dealt with💪🙏

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Our other project is groundnuts. We are growing CG9 groundnuts for seed on a 10 hectare piece of land. These photos were taken at the beginning of January when the crop was still very small.

We planted 40 hectares of ZM 623 variety for seed production and these pictures were taken after the maize had started taking shape through the 1st Fertilizer application.

Life on a farm is a school of patience, u can't hurry a crop or make an ox in a day or two.

Day 5: Maize has started emerging. Seems we will have a good germination percentage...

At exactly day 6 after planting: Groundnuts has also started emerging.

Today the 13/12/2029 we started planting our CG9 groundnuts on our 10 hectares piece of land. We should hopefully finish this by tomorrow.

More photos from today. Harvesting and selling right away. The good thing about winter maize, it’s easy to market.

Our next project is what we’ve called Project X , a whole 50 hectares of land in Mchinji 😱. On this we are growing CG9 groundnuts on 10 hectares and doing seed multiplication (maize) on 40 hectares.

Harvesting!!!!! 1st week of December 2020 🥳

The maize grew so fast and well in the month of November . We expect a good harvest.

The maize has been doing well from August to October and at this stage, it looks like we are still on course to harvest end of November or early December

Here’s the progress of our winter maize in September

End of August 2020, we decided to grow winter maize on 2 acres. The photos below show the early stages of this little project. Our plan was to get a minimum of about 37500 cobs per acre during harvest.

Hello everyone and welcome to our page and this wonderful journey that we have embarked on. We are very new to farming but we saw it as in interesting opportunity, both for commercial reasons and family reasons.