Kenyan’s President Ruto Applaude Yara during AGRF held in Tanzania, September, 2023

During the September Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF) in Tanzania, Kenyan President William Ruto testified how his administration had deliberately helped farmers raise productivity by having them use the correct type of fertilizer.

The Kenyan government apparently banned the importation of traditionally used DAP fertilizer, in favour an alternative that he noted provided the deficient soil nutrients using expert knowledge. While farmers accustomed to DAP initially resisted, they were eventually won over by the positive impact on production that the recommended fertilizer had.

Ruto’s narrative is significant for Yara’s work in Africa, spreading knowledge about Soil Health and the push for adoption of environmental friendly fertilizers that also responds to the specific crop nutrient requirements of different geographical regions.

Most governments are beginning to acknowledge that DAP that has been in use for decades hugely contributed to soil acidity, higher gas emissions and declining productivity. That notwithstanding, DAP was still favoured among farmers due to its wide availability and relatively cheap pricing.  A deliberate policy shift remains key as in the Kenyan example.

MiCROP fertilizer blend thus fits the Kenyan solution narrative, offering potentially a ignificant opportunity not only for business growth, but also in raising farmers’ prosperity and assuring food security through increased production.    

The MiCROP range of fertilizers demonstrate Yara’s stated ambition of promoting soil health and contributing to a nature-positive food future in Africa because it offers a range of products that are specifically designed to be less acidifying to the soil and helps restore the natural balance of nutrients and pH levels, creating a healthier environment for plants and crops to thrive.

MiCROP’s manufacturing at the Yara terminal in Tanzania gives it the advantage to be competitive in pricing and contributes to the industrialization of the continent, raising local manufacturing capacities and shielding the local economies from global supply disruptions as experienced during Covid-19 pandemic and most recently the war in Ukraine.