Gabon produces fertilizer from mining project

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Date Issued
1991
Language
en
Type
News Item
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Open Access
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Citation
CTA. 1991. Gabon produces fertilizer from mining project. Spore 33. CTA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Permanent link to cite or share this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/45523
External link to download this item: http://collections.infocollections.org/ukedu/en/d/Jcta33e/
Abstract/Description
The Gabonese Republic has recently completed a 12-month project that has demonstrated that fertilizer can be produced cheaply and viably from local raw materials. This low cost project (ECU 642,000) was funded jointly by the European Development...
Notes
The Gabonese Republic has recently completed a 12-month project that has demonstrated that fertilizer can be produced cheaply and viably from local raw materials. This low cost project (ECU 642,000) was funded jointly by the European Development Fund and the Gabonese Government. Improving the crop output of peasant smallholdings has been made a priority in Gabon, in conjunction with promoting small and medium-size enterprises, and with diversifying mining. The pilot project united all three aims by evaluating and demonstrating the working of deposits of lime and phosphate locally. Three sites were chosen near agricultural areas, and a private contract was drawn up with a firm of Irish contractors. Pitting and drilling techniques were used for the geological study and evaluation of the deposits, and rock samples were analyzed for their phosphorous and carbonate content both in Gabon and Ireland. One site at Lemamba produced 1-2 tonnes per hour of agricultural lime product, which was sold to extension projects in re-usable 50kg bags. Field tests proved its efficacy m neutralizing Gabon's acid soils, thus encouraging microbial activity and improving soil structure. Alan Dempster Crowe Schaffalitzky & Associates Ltd 31-33 The Triangle Ranelagh Dublin 6 IRELAND
Subjects
NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT; ENVIRONMENT;
Organizations Affiliated to the Authors
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
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