Africa Fertilizer Agribusiness Conference

10-12 October 2016. Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. The Africa Fertilizer Agribusiness Conference was a collaboration between CRU  (a British business intelligence company and the world’s leading authority on fertilizer markets, in collaboration ) and The African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP).

This event focused on the role of fertilizers within African agribusiness and how the African
agricultural industry can work with international partners to strengthen and improve its agricultural output. Over 300 international fertilizer and agribusiness executives and regional government representatives from over 45 different countries

Delegates benefited from three days of dedicated networking opportunities and a comprehensive
programme of high level presentations covering key market trends, project updates and supply and demand forecasts. Drawing on CRU’s technical event experience, the Africa Fertilizer Agribusiness conference also featured an extensive exhibition of the the world’s cutting edge fertilizer and agribusiness technologies and services.

“Fertilizers are a food production lifeline and a thriving fertilizer industry means more productive farmers and better livelihoods. The conference is being convened at a time of renewed global interest in agriculture development as expressed in the agreement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ZERO Hunger campaign all of which serve to strengthen the resolve to banish hunger and poverty in Africa by investing in the right inputs to ensure smallholder farmers are productive and profitable. The challenge of food production in Africa is a clarion call for coordinated efforts to transform African agriculture and hence accelerate the continent’s economic growth, secure jobs and improve livelihoods. 

Africa needs to plug its ‘soil nutrient deficit’ through a holistic approach to increase fertilizer supply and use in order to enhance household and national food production. Fertilizers play a critical role in securing better productivity for African farmers but in combination with other inputs such better seeds and agronomic practices. Africa’s soils are generally poor and manure alone cannot restore their productivity,” said Mkandawire. “Private sector participation is key to building and sustaining a strong fertilizer supply chain in Africa and this conference will explore opportunities to boost investment and trade while also boosting agriculture growth.”  Richard Mkandawire, AFAP Vice-President. 

Side Event – AFAP/IFA: Side Event on Product Security: This side event raised the awareness of the fertilizer value chain and national authorities of the risk of misuse of fertilizers and discus and evaluate potential for possible next steps to reduce the risk

• Misuse of fertilizers for producing improvised explosive devices: global overview and ways to mitigate security risks, Jan Chys, Director, Yara and Convenor, IFA Product Security Working Group
• Recent fertilizer-related security measures implemented in the North-East of Nigeria; Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Birma, Chairman of the Board, Superphosphate Fertilizer Company (SFC), Nigeria