It is a known fact that agriculture is the dominant economic activity in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the sector has many constraints hampering agricultural productivity, among which the depletion of soil fertility is a key factor. Arable lands are seriously degraded as a result of natural and man-made factors.
Hence, increased agricultural productivity requires several measures which include the appropriate use of fertilizer and improved seeds. Currently, fertilizer is a critical input that has great potential to increase crop yields and improve land productivity. Therefore, using adequate fertilizer is very important to ensure productivity.
Reporters and studies have indicated that Ethiopian farmers still use lower fertilizer application rates compared with their counterparts in East Africa. So, the Ministry of Agriculture has intensified the promotion of fertilizer use among farmers to replenish soil fertility and increase agricultural productivity.
Although fertilizer is a significant input in boosting agricultural production, the supply of fertilizers, and especially, the rising prices of fertilizer in the world market creates challenges for Ethiopia and become a worrisome issue for farmers in some parts of the country. Moreover, the supply chains of fertilizer, security, absence of timely distribution, inconsistency of supply, and so on are other challenges.
The increasing prices of fertilizer in the world and transporting fertilizers from the port of Djibouti to its destinations have been challenging tasks for the country. Cognizant of the challenges into account, various solutions have been designated including the relevant authorities collaborating to control and take action against those who illegally increase the price of fertilizers. More importantly, efforts have been undergoing to replace imported fertilizers inside the country.
Ministry of Agriculture State Minister, Professor Eyasu Elias said that it is important to produce fertilizers to supplement chemical fertilizers. Stating the abundant resources for fertilizer production in Ethiopia and the significant price increase of fertilizer on the global market as well as the supply restrictions, he underlined that the increasing price for importation cannot be sustained unless domestic production of fertilizer is started.
Consequently, the Ministry of Mining has made several efforts to produce fertilizer as an alternative to imported fertilizer. Implementing alternative mechanisms to replace imported fertilizer is essential to the country since the price has increased in the global market. So, along with the need to prepare and use natural fertilizers in high quality and quantity to prevent the shortage of supply, it is also a key to work on replacing imported fertilizers.
Minister of Agriculture Oumer Hussein said that the Ministry is working on preparing a natural fertilizer that can fill up to a 20 percent deficit. To fill gaps in imported soil fertilizers, the Ministry in collaboration with stakeholders and the concerned bodies has been working on various types of natural fertilizers that can be easily and quickly prepared by farmers.
Indeed, Ethiopia, apart from preparing natural fertilizer, has the capacity to substitute imported fertilizers. If the government strengthens the mining sector and continues its unreserved support, the sector has huge potential to produce fertilizers that increase agricultural productivity across the country. It is also imperative to replace imported fertilizers with alternative ones to save the foreign currency of the country.
Ethiopian Ministry of Mines Minister Engineer Takele Uma said in terms of fertilizer production, it has been confirmed that there are minerals and raw materials needed for the production of fertilizers in Ethiopia, of which calcium phosphate is present in western Ethiopia, and sulfur and potash deposits in northeastern Ethiopia. Currently, stock estimates, investment feasibility, and economic feasibility assessments are underway. This will significantly solve the country’s fertilizer supply problem.
In fact, the Ethiopian agriculture sector needs a significant amount of fertilizers every year. This year, various efforts have been done to import fertilizers. Ministry of Agriculture Input Supply and Distribution Director Mengistu Tesfa told Ethiopian Press Agency that coordinated work is underway to deliver fertilizer to farmers in time, out of the 12.8 million quintals of fertilizer needed for this year; 8.2 million quintals have reached the port of Djibouti. Hence, the total amount of fertilizer shipped to Djibouti is 64 percent of the total fertilizer purchased.
Apart from shipping, to purchasing fertilizer, every year, the government has paid special attention to it. Transportation and delivery of the fertilizer to the beneficiary farmers in a short period is a big challenge since the process of fertilizer delivery consumes time.
Besides, gathering information based on the needs of the users, organizing bids, coordinating with stakeholders, and evaluating past problems is other challenging task to order fertilizer in the international market. Hence, it is imperative to substitute imported fertilizer to deal with future problems.
However, Ethiopia has huge potential to produce fertilizers inside the country, but the country hasn’t utilized its potential so far. Taking the potential and the natural resources into account, recently, a lot of work has been done to produce fertilizer using the nation’s mining resources.
According to Minister Takele, the Ministry has been closely working with private investors that allow the country to commence fertilizer production in Ethiopia and cut the country’s growing import bill. Further, “within three to six years, the Government of Ethiopia has made a serious decision to stop importing fertilizer. We will not continue importing these products.”
Currently, Ethiopia spends about half a billion dollar every year to import fertilizer from abroad. So, it is the right time to substitute the imported fertilizer with local manufacturing fertilizer. The investors are presently in the process of importing the types of machinery required to start producing fertilizer using natural gas of the country found abundantly in the eastern part of Ethiopia’s Ogaden area, he indicated.
Although Ethiopian soils have good potential for agriculture, they also need fertilizers to increase agricultural productivity. Currently, Ethiopian agriculture requires the use of fertilizers. Besides, except for some fertilizer blending plants which are under construction, there is no fertilizer industry in Ethiopia and the entire fertilizer consumption is by and large imported causing huge foreign exchange. Substituting imported fertilizers support farmers to use the fertilizers. It also facilitates the dissemination of fertilizers easily.
BY EPHREM ANDRAGACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 29 MAY 2022
