A study was recently completed for the World Bank on fertilizer policy and marketing in the cotton sector of Africa. Three countries, namely, Mali, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe were selected for the study. The fieldwork for the study was conducted in 2000. Various stakeholders were interviewed and primary and secondary information was collected. National counterparts were selected to complement IFDC efforts.

The study focused on three broad themes: (1) existing policies and practices in procurement and marketing of fertilizers, (2) impact of policy reforms on organizational arrangements for input distribution, (3) assessment of different cotton formulas used in West Africa, and (4) institutional and technical support needed for developing successful fertilizer markets.

The main findings of the study are: (1) in spite of policy reforms in Cameroon and Zimbabwe, fertilizer distribution in cotton-growing areas remains monopolistic, (2) paucity of dealer networks in rural areas makes it difficult for farmers to access inputs, (3) conscious efforts are needed to build human capacity and market infrastructures for efficient input supply in cotton-producing areas of Africa, and (4) there is a scope for rationalization of cotton formulas in various West African countries so that economies of scale can be realized in production and procurement of fertilizers.

Contact: Dr. Balu L. Bumb--bbumb@ifdc.org

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