Fertilizer Policy and Marketing Strategies in Africa

Fertilizer Policy and Marketing Strategies in Africa

Background

Recent weather patterns have heightened fears of food shortages as dry and flood conditions threatened to wreak havoc on food production across the world, leading to high prices from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to the Midwestern United States. The expectation of poor harvest and the ensuing speculation led to price spikes in 2011. Coming on the heels of the 2007-2008 world food and fertilizer crisis, this has emphasized the need for a sustained front against food insecurity in developing countries.

More than one-half of the population in Africa lives below the poverty line, and approximately one-third faces hunger and malnutrition. High food and fertilizer price spikes will increase the number of people around the world living below the poverty line, particularly in SSA and South Asia.

In response to this volatility in prices and the threat to food security, many policymakers, private sector entrepreneurs and development partners are focused on the need to encourage increased adoption of improved technologies in seeds, mineral fertilizers and related agronomic practices and policies that enable increased private investment in agriculture. To meet the target set by African Heads of State in the 2006 Abuja Declaration for an African Green Revolution, fertilizer use has to increase five-fold from its current average rate of 10 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha) in order to accelerate food production and agricultural growth. It is indeed vital that government policies and investments support a competitive private sector-led fertilizer industry in order to encourage increased and sustainable supply of fertilizers. It is also important that this increase be implemented in an efficient and environmentally sound manner to avoid repeating mistakes of the Asian Green Revolution. Therefore, this training workshop will focus on key policy and marketing challenges and needed strategies to promote fertilizer use and supply in SSA.

Workshop Objectives

The specific objectives are:

• Identify sound policies for promoting fertilizer use in SSA.

• Discuss key public policies (for instance, subsidies) and their impact on fertilizer markets in various countries.

• Explore the viability of alternative fertilizer supply paths.

• Construct marketing strategies suitable to country-specific situations.

• Equip participants with the necessary analytical and operational skills to implement sound policies and sustainable marketing strategies.

• Strengthen business and policy linkages among stakeholders from different parts of Africa.

Workshop Content

• Global and Africa fertilizer situation and outlook.

• Food security and environmental challenges in the 21st century.

• Role of fertilizer in promoting food security and agricultural growth.

• Macro-economic and micro-economic policies and their impact on fertilizer supply and demand.

• Public policy options for fertilizer market development – subsidies and other alternatives.

• Regional fertilizer regulatory frameworks (harmonization of policies and quality standards, labeling and inspection procedures).

• Challenges in market development – the holistic approach.

• Marketing strategies in international and national markets.

• Improving fertilizer supply – production versus trade.

• Strengthening fertilizer supply chains – from the factory to the farm.

• Linking farmers to output markets – strengthening output value chains to generate a demand-pull on input markets.

• Human capital – agro-dealer networks and associations.

• Corporate social responsibility – reaching the last mile.

• The role of fertilizer technologies and strategies to mitigate effects of climate change.

• Financial innovations and risk management, including exploring the role of financial and insurance markets in mitigating farmers’ risks emanating from poor weather conditions.

• Market transparency and information technology.

• Public-private partnerships: regulation and risk-sharing. 

• Fertilizer markets without borders.

Who Should Attend

The workshop is designed for African policymakers who design and implement key agricultural and trade policy decisions or have a supervisory and/or regulatory role in fertilizer marketing; private sector entrepreneurs, producer organizations and agro-dealers involved in fertilizer supply chains; development partners supporting agricultural and fertilizer market development in Africa, notably regional economic communities (RECs); United Nations organizations and other international development agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs); environmental regulation and research organizations; farmers’/producers’ associations; agricultural universities; and financial institutions.

Methodology

The workshop will include presentations and discussions of key concepts dealing with various facets of the supply chain and market development. The workshop will be interactive and participants will be encouraged to learn from and share experiences with each other. A field trip will be organized to a fertilizer production or blending facility to give the participants a first-hand view of fertilizer production and marketing issues. The workshop will conclude with group discussions leading to key recommendations. All workshop deliberations and presentations will be conducted in English. Participants will be provided with copies of all presentations for their use.

Faculty

IFDC specialists with several years of experience and expertise and invited policymakers and speakers from the fertilizer industry, banking sector and research institutions will form the core faculty. Participants (singly or in a group) will make presentations on key policy and marketing challenges faced by their countries and how the tools, ideas and approaches discussed in the workshop could be applied to improve fertilizer marketing in their countries.

Venue

The workshop will take place at the Naura Springs Hotel, which is located on East Africa Community Road just off the Nairobi Road in the heart of Arusha, Tanzania. Naura Springs is quite close to the Arusha International Conference Center (AICC) and overlooks magnificent Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro. The hotel is easily accessible – just 45 minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), 1.5 hours from the Namanga border and five minutes from the city center. KLM shuttle buses are available to provide economical transport from/to Kilimanjaro Airport (for KLM arrivers only) at US $15 per person. For those not arriving via KLM, transportation from the airport to the hotel can be arranged for a fee by contacting the hotel.

Naura Springs Hotel has agreed to offer IFDC registered participants a special, negotiated rate for reservations made no later than April 20, 2013. Full rate details will be provided to participants upon registration.  All rooms have digital satellite TVs, Internet connection, direct dial-out facilities, mini-bars, safety deposit boxes, tea- or coffee-making facilities, as well as spacious bathrooms with Jacuzzis and shower boxes. All rooms face magnificent Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro. Participants should plan to arrive in Arusha, Tanzania, on Sunday, May 19, 2013.

Naura Springs Hotel
East Africa Community/Nairobi Rd.
P.O. Box 7302, Arusha, Tanzania
Contact: Beatrice Dallaris
Phone: +255-27-2050001/8
Fax: +255-27-2050009/10
Mobile: +255-754 318076

Visa and Medical Insurance

APPLICATIONS FOR VISAS SHOULD BE MADE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. Participants who are not eligible to enter Tanzania without a visa should apply at the nearest consulate or embassy of Tanzania for a visa. All required immunizations and health formalities should be completed. Medical insurance should be obtained by participants. The training program fee does not cover any medical insurance or expenses.

Cost and Enrollment

The program fee for this training course is US $1,300 per participant, inclusive of a US $250 non-refundable deposit. This fee is due with enrollment but no later than April 20, 2013, four (4) weeks before the program is scheduled. Thereafter, a Late Fee will apply. The program fee, less the deposit, will be refunded for cancellations made two (2) weeks before the commencement of the program. Ninety percent of the paid fee will be returned and 10 percent, in addition to the deposit, will be charged to cover administrative costs for cancellations made between two (2) weeks and one (1) week before the commencement of the program. Cancellations made less than one (1) week before the commencement of the program will receive no refund.

Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Paid participants will receive priority. Registration and program fee payments should reach IFDC by April 20, 2013. Those received thereafter will be accepted at IFDC’s discretion and incur an additional US $200 late fee. An organization wishing to enroll more than one participant should supply information and payment for each participant.

Payment of the program fee can be made by: (1) check or draft payable to IFDC; (2) wire transfer to IFDC’s account in the U.S.A. through First Metro Bank, 406 West Avalon Avenue, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, U.S.A., ABA number 062203955 for credit to IFDC account number 55281; or (3) major credit card – MasterCard, Visa or American Express.

The program fee covers registration, training and reference material, coffee/tea breaks, all lunches and surface transportation on field trips. The fee does not include air travel, lodging and dinner expenses or medical and communication expenses.

About IFDC

For more information:

Director, Training and Workshop Coordination Unit
IFDC
P.O. Box 2040
Muscle Shoals, Alabama 35662, U.S.A.
Telephone:+1 (256) 381-6600
Telefax: +1 (256) 381-7408
E-Mail: training@ifdc.org
Website: www.ifdc.org

As a nonprofit organization, IFDC does not finance or sponsor any participant.