Walewale: The Yara Ghana has unveiled two innovative fertiliser products, Yara Winner Plus and Yara Legume, aimed at enhancing crop yields and supporting farmers throughout the nation. These products were introduced during a launch event in Walewale, located in the North East Region.
According to Ghana News Agency, Yara Winner Plus is specifically designed for fruits, vegetables, and rice, offering a balanced mix of nitrogen, macro, and micronutrients to enhance crop growth while safeguarding soil health. Yara Legume, on the other hand, is tailored for leguminous crops such as soybean and cowpea. The development of these fertilisers followed several years of research with scientific partners, showing significant improvements in nodulation, pod formation, crop growth, yields, and farmers' incomes.
Madam Theresa Randolph, the Country Director of Yara Ghana, emphasized that the company's approach focuses on crop-specific nutrition to ensure each crop receives the appropriate nutrients at the optimal time. Unlike generic fertilisers, Yara's blends are formulated to maintain soil health, reduce soil acidification, and promote sustainable farming through slow-release nitrate nitrogen. She expressed gratitude to farmers for their contributions to the economy and reiterated the company's commitment to providing innovative fertiliser solutions to boost productivity, enhance livelihoods, and strengthen national food security.
Mr Abdul Rahaman Mahama, the Commercial Manager for the Northern Sector of Yara Ghana, detailed the recommended application and benefits of Yara Winner Plus. He explained that it has an NPK formula of 5-9-20 enriched with Sulphur and magnesium oxide. The recommended application rate is two bags (100 kg) per acre for both vegetables and rice, to be applied as a basal fertiliser about two weeks after transplanting. For vegetables, the high potassium content promotes improved flowering, fruit quality, and firmness, while increasing resistance to pests and diseases. For rice, it enhances tillering, panicle initiation, grain formation, ultimately leading to higher yields.
Mr Mahama highlighted that Yara is a crop nutrition company that develops fertilisers tailored to the specific nutritional needs of different crops rather than using a 'one-size-fits-all approach.' Cereals, vegetables, fruits, and legumes each require different nutrient formulations, which is why Yara has introduced specialized fertilisers for vegetables and legumes to help farmers achieve better productivity and crop quality.
Mr Francis Iddi, a farmer from Walewale, shared his positive experience using Yara Activa fertiliser, noting that it resulted in higher yields compared to other fertilisers. Meanwhile, Madam Spenika Darko, a Yara Ghana distributor in the region, praised the company's crop nutrition products for their quality and effectiveness. She described Yara Winner Plus as a significant advancement, especially for rice, fruits, and vegetables, due to its 20% potassium content.