Malawi Tobacco Growers Praise Polly-Pot Planting Method
The technology has been embraced by farmers contracted with one of the country's major tobacco companies.
MZIMBA, Malawi- Tobacco farmers contracted with Alliance One Tobacco Malawi are embracing a transplanting technology called "Polly-Potting" that involves growing seedlings in plastic tubes before planting in fields, writes Isaac Kambwiri.
The growers say this method achieves about 100% survival rates for the transplanted seedlings, resulting in higher yields.
In random interviews, tobacco cultivators from Mzimba district in northern Malawi praised the advantages of Polly-Potting over traditional transplanting straight from nursery beds.
Grower Donnex Kaunga Nyirenda said he has used the method for three years, allowing nearly all seedlings to survive and produce well.
"I started using the polly-potting transplanting method about three years ago and it is giving me and other fellow members of our Chikosera club positive results considering that almost all the transplanted tobacco seedlings do survive which result into high yields during harvesting period hence getting more kilograms which result into more profits," said Kaunga Nyirenda.
"I managed to get 148 bales of burley and 60 bales of flue-cured tobacco from my combined total production of contract and non-contract cultivation," he added, noting the profits enabled him to buy property, build a house, and acquire livestock.
Fellow grower Charles Moyo, 45, said he anticipates higher earnings this season as his Polly-Potted crop flourished across 6 hectares despite heavy rains last year limiting his production.
"Last year I got 89 bales of burley tobacco and over 60 bales of flue cured, however, I'm hoping to produce more kilograms this season because my tobacco has done well comparing to last growing season," Moyo said.
So far Moyo's economic success from 12 years of contract farming includes buying two vehicles, constructing two houses and owning livestock.
Maria Tembo, 45, also praised Polly-Potting, saying "it's easy for her to do transplanting during dry season as the methodology needs less water to water the transplanted seedlings."
"Let me urge fellow contracted farmers including women to embrace this polly-potting transplanting methodology as it allows us to do dry planting but it also enables the farmer to get high yields since the transplanted crop has a high survival rate," Tembo said.
Alliance One's corporate affairs officer, Ben Kawonga, said the company encourages the technology among its 9,000 contracted farmers countrywide this season, as it aligns with advocating good agricultural practices and internationally recommended labor standards in tobacco farming.
"It has proven that using polly-potting during tobacco transplanting enables a farmer to get high yields due to the higher survival rate of the transplanted seedlings," Kawonga said.
"As a company we always advocate for good agriculture practices as well as the internationally recommended agriculture labour practices in tobacco farming."
The Polly-Pot planting method using plastic tubes appears to be making a positive impact for Malawi's tobacco growers by increasing survival rates, yields and ultimately incomes.
The technology has been embraced by farmers contracted with one of the country's major tobacco companies.