The African Union (AU) says it will provide fertilizers to smallholder farmers through small and medium enterprises (SME) ventures and other similar businesses.
The AU recognized that the continent produces approximately 30 million metric tons of mineral fertilizer each year but lamented that most of them are not accessed by local farmers, hence the need to create ways to make fertilizers accessible.
This was disclosed in the Nairobi Declaration on Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit, Kenya dated May 9, 2024.
The declaration came after a three-day meeting with relevant stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
The event also drew representatives of heads of government to brainstorm on how to ensure an agricultural revolution for Africa’s economic progression.
AU said in order to make fertilizers available for farmers and improve the agricultural sector, it would rely on multi-stakeholder partnerships to establish SMEs ventures, among other action plans.
The statement partly read,
Nairametrics previously reported that the AU decried Africa’s unusual reliance on the global market, noting that the continent can be self-reliant if the needed cooperation crystalizes.
It maintained there is a dire need to expand the last-mile delivery system in Africa, thereby shortening the distances that African farmers travel to access fertilizer and other critical farm inputs.
In its declaration, it supported the efforts of rural gas-producing member States in production, urging them to increase their production and ensure availability at stable prices.