Africa boosts local fertiliser production

The heads of state of the African Union approved the Nairobi Declaration, launched the Soil Initiative for Africa, and presented a ten-year action plan in response to the outcomes of the Soil Health Summit, which was held in Nairobi and brought together over 4,000 participants in agricultural activities. This was reported by Daily News Egypt, a partner of TV BRICS.

By 2034, African leaders hope to increase the availability and affordability of certified high-quality organic and inorganic fertilisers for small farmers by tripling local production and supply of these products.

In order to maximise environmental friendliness, the Declaration seeks to guarantee fertiliser supply for at least 70 per cent of small farmers throughout the continent and develop specific recommendations for various crops, soil types, and weather circumstances.

The Interim Director of Industry, Chiza Charles Chiumya, underlined how critical it is to increase local production capacity for both organic and inorganic fertilisers. Even though the continent of Africa currently produces roughly 30 million metric tonnes of mineral fertiliser annually, a large portion of it is exported.

African leaders committed at the summit to doubling intra-African fertiliser trade by 2034 through the use of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Photo: iStock