Leading agricultural inputs provider Demeter Ghana Limited has introduced a new fertiliser to increase the country’s cocoa production.
Known as Polysulphate (Asaase Hene), it is a multi-nutrient sulphate cocoa fertiliser that provides over 70 per cent increase in cocoa yields according to trials by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG).
The fertiliser contains 48 per cent sulphate (SO3), 14 per cent sulphate of potash (K2O), six per cent magnesium sulphate(MgO) and 17 per cent calcium sulphate (CaO).
‘Asaase Hene’ is globally approved for organic agriculture by multiple bodies including ECOCERT.
Compared with a wide range of equivalent fertilisers, it has the lowest carbon footprint at 0.034 kilogrammes, CO2e/kg – less than 3 per cent of Urea.
Event
Speaking at the launch in Kumasi, the Head of Agronomy at Demeter Ghana, Benjamin Adevu, said the product was suitable for all kinds of soils entirely natural and has a prolonged nutrient release rate with a low salinity (amount of salt) index, making it ideal for cocoa production.
“Polysulphate (Asaase Hene) fertiliser provides both macro and micronutrients needed for good cocoa yields,” he stressed.
Mr Adevu explained that it could take as long as fifty days to release nutrients, which makes it excellent for cocoa trees to produce higher yields.
For his part, the Deputy Director in Charge of Agronomy at the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED), Samuel Ankamah, who chaired the event, encouraged farmers to accept the product to maximise their yields, and that it has been tested and approved by the Ghana Cocoa Board.
He lauded Demeter Ghana for introducing the fertiliser which offered great benefits to cocoa farmers.
A Senior Research Scientist of CRIG, Dr A. Arthur, said: “CRIG trials showed increased cocoa yields using Polysulphate (Asaase Hene) versus NPK fertilisers during the trials”.
“Our test results have shown that Polysulphate (Asaase Hene) organic fertiliser is effective for increased and healthy cocoa yields,” he stressed.
The Country Manager for Demeter Ghana, William Hunt, said the fertiliser would help farmers become more productive and profitable whilst also paying attention to the environment.
Testimony
Some farmers who used the product, during the ceremony, shared their testimonies on how impactful the product had been on their farms.
The General Manager of Ewurade Naye Bioh Farm Limited, Bioh Daniel Bossman, said, “I used to harvest 10 bags of cocoa but since I started using Polysulphate fertilisers, I now harvest 30 bags of cocoa per acre of land”.