Farmers drawn from Tanzania mainland are poised to benefit from a $20m seaweeds fertiliser project aimed at boosting sustainable agriculture practices in the country.
This follows a strategic partnership between Coastal Biotech Ltd., a Zanzibar-based company and Tanganyika Farmers Association (TFA) announced during TFA’s annual meeting on December 2 in Arusha.
The initiative aims to establish an organic fertilizer production facility leveraging seaweed from Zanzibar as the primary raw material.
In this, Coastal Biotech plans to construct a new plant by beginning of 2025 and although the production capacity remains undisclosed, the project signals a commitment to advancing organic agriculture.
According to Coastal Biotech’s Director, Steven Sillah, using organic fertilizers could significantly benefit farmers by reducing input costs by up to $590 per hectare while boosting yields by as much as 35%.
This shift aligns with the global trend toward organic farming, driven by consumer demand for food free of synthetic chemicals. The seaweed-based fertilizers also capitalize on Zanzibar’s rich marine resources, renowned for their purity and sustainability.
“Adopting organic fertilizers can cut costs for farmers by $590 per hectare and increase yields by up to 35%,” Sillah highlighted.
In Tanzania, the use of chemical fertilizers remains among the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa. However, data from the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) shows a rising trend, with fertilizer consumption projected to reach 1 million tonnes in the 2024/25 season.
This marks a 20% increase from the 840,000 tonnes used the previous year and highlights the growing acknowledgment of fertilizers’ role in improving agricultural productivity and food security.
Despite this progress, Tanzania still relies heavily on imports, which currently account for 86% of its fertilizer supply. Fertilizer application rates remain low, estimated at 9.3 kg per hectare in 2021—well below the Abuja Declaration’s recommended 50 kg per hectare.
To address this dependency, the Tanzanian government is focusing on boosting local production. A landmark initiative involves a partnership between the Tanzania Investment Center (TIC), the Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA), the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), and Indonesia’s ESSA to establish a state-of-the-art fertilizer plant in the Mtwara region.
Valued at $1.3 billion (Sh3.5 trillion), this ambitious project will leverage Tanzania’s vast natural gas reserves, estimated at 54.57 trillion standard cubic feet. Construction is set to span from 2024 to 2029, promising to transform the country’s fertilizer production capacity.
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