‎THE Tanzania Fertiliser Regulatory Authority (TFRA) has lined up strategies to increase fertiliser use from 1.0m tonnes per year to 2.1m tonnes by 2030.

Joel Laurent, the TFRA executive director, outlined this intention at an international fertiliser conference in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, bringing together fertiliser stakeholders from abroad and within the country, showcasing fertiliser products.

‎Setting out progress in fertiliser use, he said that a few years ago farmers were using 360,000 tonnes of fertiliser but within three years he tonnage hit the 1.0m tonnes mark, a significant increase enabling the discussions to focus on the range of opportunities in seeking to widen fertiliser availability, he said.

The two-day meeting is important to help the entire fertiliser chain work more reliably and accurately so that farmers can get quality fertiliser easily, he said, pointing out the meeting would hear presentations as to how Tanzanian and African farmers can get the right fertiliser at an affordable price.

‎The discussion is important because the government has made a lot of efforts to facilitate access to quality fertiliser for farmers countrywide, as until now, a large percentage of the fertiliser used in Tanzania is imported.

There is at present considerable ease of unloading cargo at the port of Dar es Salaam, facilitating timely delivery of key inputs, he stated, elaborating that conference participants need to identify usable areas for facilitating availability of fertilisers by using locally available resources.

‎ TFRA was participating in the conference to show fertiliser stakeholders from abroad the range of opportunities available in various regions as part of developing the fertiliser sector, he said.

‎Fertiliser is a vital input in crop production so the discussion is important in ensuring food security through quality fertiliser for farmers to increase their yields, he said.

In the Nairobi Resolution of 2024, African countries laid out plans to increase fertiliser use by 50 kilogrammes per hectare. “We in Tanzania have currently moved up to 25 kilograms per hectare and we believe that by 2033 as per the resolutions, we will reach 50 kilograms per hectare,” he declared

‎Attaining this level of fertiliser use will significantly increase grain production and thus food security for our people meanwhile as we have adequate raw materials for vast increase in the tonnage produced, he added.