Why MiCROP range of fertilizer blend is truly the pride of Tanzania and the fertilizer of the future

At Yara Tanzania, we are always innovating means and ways of delivering value to our customers and partners, in the unwavering commitment to improve livelihoods and develop the local economy through agricultural transformation.

We are developing a wide range of knowledge-driven quality products that not only contribute to sustainable food systems, but also empower thousands of farmers and contribute to the overall economic development of the Tanzanian population.

Positioned at the crossroads of agriculture, society and the economy, Yara is obligated to cultivate this vintage opportunity to enhance growth of the agri-space. The company is already delivering on some of these commitments, leveraging on latest technology to create cutting age farming solutions.

The recent introduction of the MiCROP Fertilizer blend, in 2020, is testimony to Yara’s leadership in offering solutions with profound impact on food production and the economy.

The MiCROP fertilizers blend goes further to demonstrate Yara’s stated ambition of promoting soil health and contributing to a nature-positive food future globally. In line with this ambition, MiCROP offers a range of products that are specifically designed to be less acidifying to the soil. By reducing soil acidity, MiCROP helps restore the natural balance of nutrients and pH levels, creating a healthier environment for plants and crops to thrive.

Our innovative solutions are carefully formulated to minimize their impact on soil acidity while maintaining their effectiveness in supporting plant growth and maximizing yields. We believe that smallholder farmers adopting MiCROP cannot only improve soil health but also contribute to sustainable agricultural practices that protect the environment and ensure a more resilient food transformation for the future.

The manufacturing of MiCROP fertilizers at the Yara’s Kurasini fertilizer terminal in Dar es Salaam, also adds to the country’s efforts on self-reliance in fertilizer supply and job creation. The Kurasini fertilizer terminal established in 2015 was Yara’s first major ground infrastructure for handling fertilizer and is the input’s hub for the larger East Africa region. It was put up at a cost of USD40 million with a capacity to handle in excess of 500kT annually.

Like many other developing countries in Africa, Tanzania heavily relies on expensive fertilizer imports to service its domestic demand. But with the disruptions of the global supply chains in recent years following the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2000, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, strengthening domestic manufacturing has become even more pressing.

With the double crises of Covid-19 and war in Ukraine restricting the movement of fertilizer globally, Yara Tanzania seized the opportunity to develop MiCROP which is a home grown technological initiative for local fertilizer production, paving the way that now guarantees significant supply insulating farmers from the global fertilizer chain disruptions and subsequent higher prices for the commodity.

The manufacturing of MiCROP fertilizers blend in Tanzania will further strengthen the domestic market which is estimated to grow substantially in coming years as the government rumps up efforts on agricultural productivity through several interventions, including intensifying campaigns to increase the average acreage use of fertilizer among farmers which currently remains very low. Yara Tanzania is a critical player in the distribution of fertilizer across the country under a government-backed subsidy initiative now in its second year.

As a homegrown technological crop nutrient solution, MiCROP fertilizers blend have both the advantage of raising farmers’ yields, caring for soil health and protecting the environment. MiCROP which comes with a complete balance of plant and crop nutrients is suitable for different crops and sensitive to respective surroundings.

MiCROP’s consist of MiCROP Planting fertilizer for planting all crops, MiCROP Topdressing fertilizer for topdressing cereal crops and sugarcane, MiCROP MBOGAMBOGA useful in topdressing horticultural crops and MiCROP TOBACCO special fertilizer for the Tobacco crop. MiCROP’s cuts above tradionally used fertilizer Diammonium phosphate (DAP) for planting, Urea, Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), Sulphate of Ammonia (SA) all for topdressing, and which causes an increase in soil acidity level.

This fertilizer blend is produced through Yara patented PROCOTE technology (coating micronutrients to macronutrients) providing nutrients in a balanced ratio as per specific crop requiments. MiCROP’s supply Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulphur, Magnesium, Boron and Zinc that are deficient in many agricultural zones across Tanzania.

MiCROP’s thus empowers farmers to scale up yield, quality and grow crops with superior and diverse nutrients requirements while nourishing their soil and taming harmful emissions. Research done indicates that MiCROPs scores highly, with a yield increase of two to three times. With MICROPs, farmers who harvest seven bags of rice and maize per acre can raise to the optimum of 20 to 30 bags per acre.

And for Tobacco growers, MiCROP TOBACCO blend delivers a made for purpose solution to problems they have faced for years with failing production. MiCROP TOBACCO blend has already showed results that it performs better for those using it over traditional fertilizers. The need for MiCROP TOBACCO blend is because tobacco is one of the country’s strategic cash crops and expected to drive up economic prosperity for growers and the country’s economy.