Fertilizers

Tanzania's domestic fertilizer production reached 158,628 tonnes in the 2024/2025 season through 36 factories currently in operation, while total in-country availability climbed to 1,213,729 tonnes.

Fertilizers have become one of the fastest-growing segments of Tanzania's agro-industrial base, anchored by major capacity additions and a national subsidy program that supports farmer demand.

The market is shaped by a structural gap between rapidly rising local consumption and continued reliance on imported chemical fertilizers, opening space for new manufacturing capacity, blending plants, and raw-material processing.

Domestic Production and Capacity

Tanzania has experienced a massive increase in domestic fertilizer production, reaching 158,628 tonnes in the 2024/2025 season through 36 factories currently in operation.

This surge is primarily attributed to two major investments: a new fertilizer factory in the Itracom group and the expansion of the Minjingu factory.

Production now includes hybrid organic and mineral fertilizers, phosphate-based fertilizers, liquid fertilizers, compost, and calcium carbonate (lime).

The same industrial base also manufactures bio-pesticides targeting mosquito larvae and crop pests, broadening the agri-input portfolio beyond fertilizers alone.

Demand, Application Rates and Subsidies

The Government heavily drives demand through a robust national subsidy program.

As a result, the demand and actual application of fertilizer by Tanzanian farmers have grown significantly to 1,000,000 tonnes per year.

The average application rate has improved to 24 kg per hectare^[1], signalling rising intensity of use among smallholders and commercial growers.

Overall fertilizer availability in the country reached 1,213,729 tonnes in 2024/2025, combining domestic output with imports to meet farmer demand.

Supply Gap and Import Reliance

A clear structural gap exists between the 158,628 tonnes produced locally in 2024/2025 and the 1,000,000 tonnes applied annually by farmers.

This gap, together with the heavy reliance on imported chemical fertilizers, has prompted several future initiatives aimed at bridging the deficit and further boosting local production.

Bridging this gap is now a stated policy priority, with both blending and primary manufacturing identified as growth fronts.

Raw Materials and Mineral Inputs

Tanzania holds significant mineral resources directly relevant to fertilizer production, providing a domestic feedstock advantage.

Phosphate is extensively mined in Minjingu (Manyara Region) and Nachingwea (Lindi Region), and is used in agriculture and as an ingredient in local soap production.

Limestone is abundantly found in areas such as Tanga, Wazo Hill (Dar es Salaam), Lindi, and Mbeya, and is used both in cement factories and as a fertilizer for highly acidic soils in the agricultural sector.

These deposits underpin the country's ability to expand phosphate-based and lime-based fertilizer manufacturing without depending entirely on imported inputs.

Policy Framework

Fertilizer is explicitly listed among the priority commodities under the Agriculture Master Plan 2050, whose commercial development is to be accelerated alongside wheat, soybeans, poultry, and aquaculture.

To accelerate implementation of the Agriculture Master Plan 2050, the Ministry of Agriculture introduced the Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania initiative in 2025, building on earlier corridor frameworks.

Fertilizer and chemical products are also designated as a priority sector within Tanzania's Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Export Processing Zones (EPZs), giving fertilizer manufacturers access to fiscal and non-fiscal incentives under those licensing schemes.

The national subsidy program remains the central demand-side instrument, sustaining farmer offtake of locally produced and imported fertilizers.

Investment Opportunities

The most direct opportunity lies in expanding domestic manufacturing capacity to close the gap between the 158,628 tonnes produced in 2024/2025 and the 1,000,000 tonnes applied annually by farmers.

Production lines covering hybrid organic and mineral fertilizers, phosphate-based fertilizers, liquid fertilizers, compost, and calcium carbonate (lime) all show demonstrated market traction.

Upstream opportunities exist in phosphate extraction and processing in Minjingu and Nachingwea, and in limestone processing in Tanga, Wazo Hill, Lindi, and Mbeya, supplying feedstock to local fertilizer plants.

Adjacent opportunities include the establishment of processing plants and industries for the production of refined mineral oil, petroleum jelly, grease, fertilizers, and bituminous-based water/damp-proof building materials, linking the petrochemical value chain to agri-inputs.

Investors targeting fertilizer and chemical products within SEZs and EPZs can combine export orientation with the existing strong domestic demand base, while also entering bio-pesticide manufacturing for mosquito larvae and crop pests.

Last Update: May 2026

References

1. https://www.viwanda.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1747115028-hotuba_online_compressed.pdf (Guide reference #129)