AfricaFertilizer.org to Increase Agricultural Productivity and Knowledge Across Africa

AfricaFertilizer.org, a global forum to disseminate and exchange information on fertilizers, soil fertility and related agricultural issues that face Africa, has been launched. The website provides much-needed agricultural information to the citizens of Africa and the world. AfricaFertilizer.org serves stakeholders in the movement to make Africa selfsufficient in food production. Stakeholders include farm organizations, researchers, policymakers, extension specialists, the agro-input industry, the private sector, donors, funding agencies and the media.


AfricaFertilizer.org is partially funded by a grant from the Strategic Alliance for Agricultural Development in Africa (SAADA) project of the Netherlands’ Directorate-General for International
Cooperation (DGIS). IFDC is responsible for creating and maintaining the site, which features an interactive map of nutrient depletion in Africa, numerous publications available for download,
news and other information crucial to agricultural intensification. AfricaFertilizer.org will expand through partnerships that will provide essential data for the Website. 


"More content will be added on an ongoing basis, as partnerships are developed at several levels: with international organisations or publishers; at the continental level with organisations such as AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), the African Union and NEPAD (The New Partnership for Africa's Development); (and) at the national level with governments, associations, organisations, research institutions and agricultural projects working across Africa," Patrice Annequin IFDC market information specialist.

According to Annequin, IFDC also hopes to use mobile phones to disseminate important fertilizer information, as many sub-Saharan Africans increasingly have gained access to mobile phone technology.

AfricaFertilizer.org is partnered with Esoko.com, a Website that allows market information to be transmitted via text messaging to sub-Saharan Africa. Whether transmitted by Internet or phone, IFDC has gathered vital soil fertility information for Africa in once place for the first time-an important step towards improving sustainable agricultural practices on the continent.


Reference:
The Citizen Daily 15/03/2010 Africa: New Website to provide fertilizer information to farmers