RE:Interesting articleEnglish translation
African agricultural inputs instead!
Written Saturday, April 19, 2014 at 22:23
Asia uses 210 kg of fertilizer per hectare , when Sub-Saharan Africa merely 8 kg. Overpriced , poorly distributed , fertilizer is not entered in the habits of farmers on the continent. But the industrial world in search of opportunities, have good remedy .
"Africa is 15 % of the world population , 16% of arable land in the world and just over 3% of its fertilizer consumption ," recalls Joel Joffre , consultant and director of AGRinputS firm specialized in the sector of agricultural inputs and tropical crops .
While one in four Africans is still threatened with malnutrition and the number of mainland residents must spend 1.1 billion today to 2.5 billion by 2050 , this chronic under- use of fertilizers is worrying . Especially we see little improvement in recent years , concerning handicaps yet identified long ago .
Transport & distribution
"The lack of transport infrastructure and distribution difficulties in finding funding sources for producers or the high cost of trade barriers in a highly fragmented market are all factors that limit physical access to inputs at the same time they inflate the price , "says Rob Groot, regional manager of the International Fertilizer Development Center ( IFDC) .
" Extensive agriculture is no longer a solution. We must stop clearing forests. "
But the situation seems to be about to change. While the economy is almost at a standstill in developed countries and the first signs of a slowdown are being felt in Asia, Africa's growth is expected to remain above 5.5 %, at least for the next ten years, according to forecasts.
A situation that begins to interest strongly a lack of private sector business opportunities. " We see more and more manufacturers are coming to try to understand the needs of the continent ," says Patrick Heffer , Director of the International Fertilizer Industry Association ( IFA) , which represents the fertilizer industry.
Sign of the times , the 5th Argus FMB Africa Fertilizer Conference , which was held in late February in Marrakech , attracted a record number of participants, with for the first time the presence of Chinese producers or the Canadian giant Potash Corp . The arrival of large groups on the continent could gradually change the situation , especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
export
The first visible change should be the launch of fertilizers adapted to soils of the continent, while at present the industry simply more often than products developed for other regions of the world . This " Africanization " of fertilizer took shape in February when Mustapha Terrab , CEO of the Moroccan OCP , the world's phosphate fertilizers , announced the forthcoming opening in the realm of a factory whose production (1 million tonnes year) will be entirely for export to the rest of the continent. An investment of $ 600 million ( over 435 million) .
" OCP is now the only one to have developed a clear strategy as to Africa ," says Patrick Heffer . Others may well follow suit , but the private sector will not be able to launch only the green revolution that Africa needs . Currently , 40% of fertilizer purchases on the mainland are subsidized by governments. "We must bring together all stakeholders in the sector around the table , starting with banks and public authorities, without which nothing is possible ," admits the head of the IFA .
Because despite the emergence of competition in the fertilizer market , prices should not entertain sharply. They are much higher in Africa than in the rest of the world : between 20% and 300 % more in terms of volumes delivered, the destination and the density distribution in each country . "Prices will fall when the transport infrastructure and storage have been upgraded ," insists Patrick Heffer .
Extension vs intensification
If the volumes consumed increased steadily on the continent in recent decades, this trend is less related to increased fertilizer use as the extension of cultivated land.
According to IFDC , the area of these has more than doubled in Africa between 1961 and 2011 , while it increased by less than 25 % in Asia. At the same time , Asian yields per hectare have increased on average by 190% , against less than 70% south of the Sahara. Result: even today, three-quarters of Africa 's food needs are met through imports .
" Extensive agriculture is no longer a solution. We must stop clearing forests and exploit the land to soil depletion , as is done for the cultivation of cocoa. Otherwise Africa risk become unproductive " savannah summarizes Joel Joffre.
consumption
Only effective short-term solution to the experts: the widespread use of fertilizers on the continent "When Asia today uses 210 kg of fertilizer per hectare , SSA merely 8 kg ," a. Marrakech reminded Rob Groot, for which East Africa acts as a good student . "Kenya is the current African champion with 32 kg per hectare, but in India, it reached 178 kg and 142 kg Brazil ," says the manager still IFDC , who does not choose these two states by chance.
They are viewed by experts as the two most relevant examples to follow and combine for Africa, " India because it has a very similar structure peasant , based on small farms , Brazil by the nature of its soil rather poor behind , "says Patrick Heffer .
So how Brazilian farmers have they managed the feat of making Cerrado region of intensive soybean production ? By dumping for years phosphate and potash to amend ( improve productivity and fertility) their land. " A practical unknown today in Africa, apart from some large plantations oriented cash crops ," says Joel Joffre. Worse, experts note that in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, cultivated land, far from being richer , showing signs of exhaustion.
https://www.ferloo.com/Agriculture-africaine-place-aux-intrants-_a6753.html