Tanzania’s Fertilizer Usage Reaches 800,000 Tons in 2024, Up 122% from 2022

Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture through the Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA) has increased Tanzania’s fertilizer usage from 360,000 tons in the 2021/22 period to 800,000 tons of fertilizer in 2024.

This was revealed on 11^th October 2024 by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Gerald Mweli during the launch of the First National Fertilizer Symposium in Dodoma.

The two-day symposium, themed “Agriculture is Fertilizer,” was attended by members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry, Trade, Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, as well as development partners and representatives from various countries to discuss ways to advance the fertilizer industry in Tanzania.

Speaking at the event Mweli highlighted: “We have increased fertilizer usage to 800,000 tons in 2024, up from 360,000 tons in the 2021/2022 period, when the fertilizer subsidy program was introduced by the President of Tanzania, H.E Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan. Seeing this progress, we must commend the President for continuing to support farmers with subsidies, enabling them to produce more efficiently.”

Additionally, Mweli praised local fertilizer companies for ramping up production and urged investors to establish more fertilizer manufacturing facilities in the country.

He emphasized the need to align fertilizer usage with soil health to help Tanzania achieve its goal of becoming a hub for fertilizer production and distribution in Africa.

Tanzania Fertilizer Availability

By April 2024, fertilizer availability in Tanzania reached 1,052,218.4 tons, compared to 819,442 tons in 2022/2023, equivalent to 123.95% of the estimated demand of 848,884 tons for the year.

This supply consisted of 114,223 tons produced domestically, 611,651.4 tons imported from abroad, and 326,344 tons remaining from the 2022/2023 season.

Key fertilizers included UREA (249,990 tons), DAP (144,993 tons), NPK (125,737 tons), CAN (133,999 tons), and SA (129,152 tons).

Additional fertilizers included TSP (3,200 tons), MoP (18,333 tons), NPS (28,651 tons), NPSZn (32,820 tons), Other Nitrogen-based fertilizers(19,342 tons), Lime(8,933 tons), Dolomite(2,766 tons), Gypsum (512 tons), and Other Fertilizers (54,376 tons).

Locally produced fertilizers like Fomi(53,778 tons) and Minjingu (45,636 tons) also contributed to the total supply.