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Fertiliser use `far below recommended average`
2005-06-24 09:34:21
By Guardian Reporter, Dodoma
Farmers still use fertilisers below the recommended amount, the government said yesterday.
Tabling his 2005/2006 budget estimates, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Charles Keenja said on average, the use of fertilisers was 7 kilogrammes per hectare against the recommended 60 kilogrammes.
He said in order to achieve the recommended ratio, there was a need to increase availability and use of fertilisers from 195,065 tonnes bought last year to 600,000 tonnes of fertilisers per year.
The minister said the government, in collaboration with the private sector and other big international companies, would this financial year increase the amount of fertilisers to 385,000 tonnes.
He said two companies from Norway and South Africa have agreed to run fertiliser business in the country.
Keenja said the target was to reach an average of 10 kilogrammes per hectare by the year 2007/2008.
He said the government would continue subsidising fertiliser transportation throughout the country and haulage of cashewnut pesticides for Mtwara, Lindi, Ruvuma, Coast, Tanga, Morogoro and Dar es Salaam regions.
The minister said a total of 75,000 tonnes of fertilisers and 5,000 litres of cashewnut pesticides would be involved in this programme, started in 2003/2004.
Keenja requested Parliament to approve 118,124,823,900/- for recurrent and development expenditures for the 2005/2006 financial year.
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