TANZANIA: DURING his heydays, American labour leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez once said: “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.
” His school of thought was that food is art, and food is love and that is why farmers who see into it that it is grown and put in our tables deserve praise. But, ask yourself-what are the things which promote its growth? One of the answers automatically is a fertiliser.
In quick analysis, fertilisers play a crucial role in agriculture in Tanzania, as it does in many other countries in the world. Tanzania is an agrarian economy, with agriculture accounting for a significant portion of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employing the majority of its workforce.
Regardless of the challenges that the country is facing, many fertiliser exporters have helped in contributing to the availability of fertilisers to farmers in the country so as to improve the quantity and quality of agricultural production.
To implement international fertiliser trade, some fertiliser stakeholders from Tanzania participated in a virtual round table meeting with Russian fertiliser exporters to discuss how the two parties could cooperate and benefit from the international fertiliser trade.
The round table on fertiliser trade was organised by the Russian Embassy in Tanzania in cooperation with the Tanzanian Coffee Board and Cashew Board, and took place at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam.
It included the Tanzania Fertiliser Regulatory Authority (TFRA), Tanzania Fertiliser Company Limited (TFC), and a large number of Tanzanian private importers and traders so as they discuss together ways forward.
The Russian Ambassador to Tanzania, Andrey Avetisyan, highlighted the critical role of Russian fertilizer exporters in global agriculture, emphasizing their substantial contribution to food production and ensuring food security worldwide.
“The Russian fertiliser exporters play a pivotal role in global agriculture, contributing significantly to the production of food and ensuring food security worldwide, and that is the aim here in Tanzania to help in the agriculture sector,” said Ambassador Avetisyan.
In the discussion, the Russian side was represented by some of the largest Russian companies in the industry, including EuroChem group, Uralkhem, Russian association of fertiliser producers, and many others.
Russia has acknowledged the efforts made by the Tanzanian government in successfully launching the fertiliser support programme, inaugurated by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, which is a significant move to boost Tanzania’s agricultural sector.
With this reform, the government aims to provide accessible and affordable fertilisers to farmers nationwide to have a large stock of food produced in the country and also to increase agribusiness for farmers.
Mr Avetisyan said that the ongoing building trade ties between the two countries is direct continuation of the second Russia-Africa Summit held late July in Saint Petersburg, Russia and it was attended by Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa and a large group of Tanzanian businessmen.
In the vast expanse of Russia’s fertile lands, a silent but crucial industry operates, one that plays a pivotal role in global agriculture.
Nestled among the extensive fields and farmland, Russian fertiliser exporters stand as unsung heroes, their contributions echoing far beyond national borders.
In the heart of this industry lies a deep commitment to ensuring food security on a global scale. With unwavering dedication, these exporters labour tirelessly to supply the world with the essential nutrients needed to cultivate crops and sustain growing populations.
Tanzania’s goal is to ensure fertiliser uptake reaches 800,000 tonnes by 2025 to improve the agriculture sector and assist farmers in getting fertilisers on time for agricultural seasons so as to increase production.
But the story of fertiliser in Tanzania is not just one of abundance, it is also a tale of resilience and innovation. Through government initiatives and partnerships with agricultural agencies, smallholder farmers gain access to quality fertilisers, training and support, empowering them to harness the full potential of their land.