TFRA Executive Director, Joel Laurent( second from R) presenting a certicate to one of fertilizer business training attendees in Katavi region.
TFRA sets fertilizer distribution strategies in the Southern Highlands Region of Katavi
By Mutayoba Arbogast
The Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA), Southern Highlands’ zone, has met with Katavi regional fertilizer stakeholders with the aim of assessing the state of Fertilizer distribution in the 2023/2024 agricultural season and preparing for the new season 2024/2025.
The session that was held at the end of the week was attended by the Executive Director of TFRA, Joel Laurent, whereby 52 businessmen and women were awarded with certificates after completing fertilizer business training.
“This training should be a guideline for you in providing to provide education with simple e explanations to farmers on the correct use of fertilizers and thus enable them to increase production”, said Laurent, adding that, it was important to farmers to learn about measuring soil health through extension officers in their wards using soil testers provided by the government to identify the lack of nutrients in the soil so that they are able to use the right fertilizers.
He said that, in the agricultural season 2024/2025, the government will provide devices for registering farmers by taking fingerprints, photos and GPS coordinates according to the size of the farm, calling on farmers to come forward to register to take advantage of the subsidy provided by the Government.
Furthermore, he said that the government led by Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan President of the United Republic of Tanzania, in last two seasons 2022/23 and 2023/24 has given subsidized fertilizers to farmers with the aim of reducing production costs for the farmer, so that he can produce productively, strengthen food security and increase raw materials for industries.
In addition, he has assured fertilizer stakeholders that the government will continue to provide Fertilizer Subsidy in the 2024/2025 season and all fertilizers will be in the form of subsidies.
Along with that, he directed the fertilizer companies of ETG, OCP, Africian, Minjingu, TFC, Yara and others to ensure that the fertilizers reach the farmers on time and to have competent agents who will deliver the fertilizers at the district and ward levels to enable farmers to buy the input
immediately after selling their crops.
Laurent also urged the fertilizer companies and agents to comply with the Fertilizer Law number 9 of 2009, saying the government won’t tolerate any agent or farmer who violates or sabotages the fertilizer subsidy program.
Nehemia James, Administrative Secretary for regional Economic and Production department, speaking on behalf of the Katavi region Administrative Secretary, he congratulated the fertilizer stakeholders for strengthening the supply of fertilizer in the region in the 2023/2024 agricultural season, and TFRA’s plan to come up with a special campaign to educate the public on the importance of using fertilizers correctly and enable them to increase production.
He has explained that Katavi Region is an agricultural region where more than 90 percent of its residents are farmers.
He appealed to TFRA in collaboration with fertilizer companies to ensure that the fertilizers arrive on time for the 2024/2025 farming season before September so that farmers can buy the fertilizers.
James made it clear that Katavi region will continue to fully monitor the exercise of registration of farmers as well as the distribution of subsidized fertilizers and meet the Strategic Plan they had set, to increase the use of fertilizers to more than 17,000 tons per year.
Bank of Tanzania(BoT) report, shows that Tanzania produced 20.4 million tonnes of food crops in financial year 2022/23.
