Are Ugandan Farmers Using the Right Quality Fertilizer

Mbowa Swaibu, Bulegeya Komayombi and Luswata Charles Kizza

No 206173, Policy Briefs from Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC)

Abstract: This brief highlights the quality concerns of inorganic fertilizers on the Ugandan market. The findings reported are an excerpt from a study that analysed the quality of inorganic fertilizers on the Ugandan market1. The analysis was based on 170 samples (in 50 kg bags and small 1-2 kg packs) of the commonly used fertilizers on the Ugandan market i.e. urea, NPK, DAP and CAN that were purchased and subjected to rigorous laboratory tests. Procedures followed in the purchasing of fertilizer samples mimicked a farmer purchasing fertilizers randomly from any input dealer countrywide. Analytical results from the fertilizer samples revealed low quality fertilizers with moisture content above acceptable limits of 0.5-1.5 percent; and untruthfulness in both weight and nutrient content. In some instances, the nutrient content quoted on the labels did not match with the analytical content. This has serious consequences because fertilizer recommendations are based on the nutrient content. If the nutrients are not of the right quality, then the end-user (a farmer) will not attain the intended crop response to fertilizer application. The study findings reveal that re-packaging fertiliser into smaller quantities is justifiable to meet the requirements of smallholder farmers, but leads to loss of nutrients (especially nitrogen); and also aggravates the high moisture content problem. Results reveal gaps in the current regulatory system; therefore there is an urgent need for government to approve and operationalize the fertilizer policy, regulations and strategy.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Agricultural Finance; Community/Rural/Urban Development; Consumer/Household Economics; Crop Production/Industries; Environmental Economics and Policy; Farm Management; Food Security and Poverty; Health Economics and Policy; Land Economics/Use (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 4
Date: 2015-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:eprcpb:206173

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.206173

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