Mali: A new liquid organic fertilizer gives farmers new hope

Download this story

Saturday morning around 6 a.m., a cool breeze blows across the agricultural area of Baraouéli in the Ségou region of Mali. Sanata Bouaré, a young farmer, makes her way to the one-hectare vegetable field she tends with a women’s cooperative. The land, divided into several plots, yields African eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and peppers.

For the past two years, Ms. Bouaré and her group have adopted a new fertilizer called Biol to increase their production and restore their soils, which have been gradually losing fertility. She explains that with climate change and the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers on health, they are looking for other ways to produce healthier food. She says: “We prefer Biol because it harms neither the environment nor our health.”

Ms. Bouaré explains that Biol is a liquid organic fertilizer that also acts as a biopesticide. Biol fertilizes the soil and protects plants against pests and insects. It is an effective alternative for better harvests and for restoring soil health. She adds thatBiol encourages the development of microorganisms such as worms, whose presence enriches the soil and helps break down organic matter buried in the ground. She says: “Two weeks after usingBiol, we can see that the plants are stronger and grow quickly.”

Ms. Bouaré explains that Biol can be used in two ways: by pouring the fertilizer onto the soil to enrich it, or by spraying it on plant leaves to repel insects and pests. Thanks to these techniques, she says she has observed the gradual return of biodiversity and an improvement in productivity.

Ms. Bouaré says she obtains Biol from the company Agri-Solutions. She notes that this fertilizer also has an economic advantage for farmers. A one-liter container of Biol sells for 750 CFA francs (about $1.35), while a 50-kg bag of mineral fertilizer costs 35,000 CFA francs (about $63). Today, thanks to the use of Biol, Ms. Bouaré estimates that farmers in Baraouéli can produce at lower cost and organically. She says that women can earn a profit of more than 150,000 CFA francs from a single sales period—something that was not possible before Biol was introduced.

Sitan Kassogué is an agronomist and promoter of the company Agri Solution, which produces Biol. She explains that the goal is to meet the needs of producers who suffer from the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers by providing them with a locally produced organic fertilizer. She reveals that the project began in 2017 after she completed her university studies.

Ms. Kassogué explains that Biol is made entirely from natural ingredients, including plants, cow dung, poultry manure, ash, and chili peppers, which help repel insects. These ingredients are mixed, stored, and watered during a period of anaerobic decomposition, then filtered before bottling. Ms. Kassogué says that Ms. Bouaré and more than 200 women in Baraouéli use Biol for their production.

Pierre Coulibaly is an agriculture expert. He welcomes the production of a product like Biol, made from natural ingredients, and believes it can contribute to sanitation through the recycling of animal waste, preserve wildlife and plant life, and reduce production costs for farmers. He also believes that promoting this technique could create jobs and reduce poverty in rural areas.

He encourages farmers to prefer using organic fertilizers like Biol for their production.

Ms. Bouaré says there is growing interest among farmers in Biol in the Baraouéli area. She concludes:“It is our hope for producing better, organic food for the health of our families.”