SEPTEMBER 2018

Market Comments
Tanzania Fertilizer Regulation Authority (TFRA) is the government authority that monitors the fertilizer market. Government still has set prices for DAP and Urea. The government has also directed the importation of Urea and DAP in bulk.
Swiss Singapore Tanzania Ltd and OCP Morocco won the TFRA tender to import Urea and DAP respectively

AUGUST 2018

Market Comments
Fertilizer prices have been stable over the period due to the presence of large stock by the big suppliers in the country. The low demand of the same fertilizers is due to the ongoing harvesting translating to low volume of sales.
Government has announced a fertilizer tender for the year 2018-2019 in order to get a company that will import fertilizers for the coming season. The company name is yet to be made public.

JULY 2018

Market Comments
In July, the fertilizer sales trend is still showing a decrease due to the current harvesting period. The government policy on fertilizer in Tanzania still has directive price, therefore the government has announced fertilizer tender for the year of 2018-2019 in order to get a company that will import fertilizer for the coming season. The company that will supply fertilizer under the tender will be announced soon.

JUNE 2018

Market Comments 
In June, the harvesting season is ongoing thus low usage in fertilizers and the decreasing trend in fertilizer sales during this period
The government policy on fertilizer in Tanzania still has directive on price, thus it has announced fertilizer tender for the year of 2018-2019, in order to get a company that will import fertilizer for the coming season.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and Export Trading Group (ETG) have signed a financial agreement worth $ 100 million loan to finance support agriculture on the African continent. The cash will also be used to support fertilizer projects in Kenya and Zambia and help reinforce the processing Plants in Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Togo, Ethiopia, Benin, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Uganda among other nations.

MAY 2018

Market Comments 

In May, there has been a decrease in usage of DAP fertilizers due to the ongoing flooding. For some areas in Arusha region, crops have been severely affected by flooding. Most of the crops are at the top dressing stage with long-rain season getting to an end.

APRIL 2018

Market Comments 

Currently, the price for CAN has dropped to Tsh.41, 500 per 50 kg bag while the prices for DAP and Urea are still the same as that of March. There is price subsidy on the DAP and Urea Fertilizers. The long rain season is currently ongoing and farmers are topdressing their crops.

MARCH 2018

Market Comments 

In March, there has been a shortage of Urea in certain regions of the country. Some of the agro-dealers with Urea stocks were not willing to sell it separately but combined with other products such as SA, CAN and DAP.
Planting for main cropping season has started, main crops include sunflower, maize, rice and beans. DAP and Urea fertilizers indicative prices are set by the government under the BPS but there is limited availability as most of the agro-dealers are not selling the fertilizers because of low margins.
In addition, there is big supply of BPS fertilizers at the importer level as agro-dealers are not willing to buy the commodity causing farmers to plant without fertilizers.

FEBRUARY 2018

Market Comments 

There has been a shortage of Urea and DAP fertilizers especially in the southern region of the country. The selling price of Urea and DAP are set by the government under the Bulk Procurement System (BPS). In the current season, there has been increase in the price of Urea by $124 per ton compared to the previous season. Tanzania Fertilizer Company (TFC) was awarded the tender of importing fertilizers during this season. It’s the currently the planting phase of maize, rice and horticultural crops.

JANUARY 2018

Market Comments 

The rainy season has started and the demand for fertilizers is very high but farmers have to travel longer distances to hub agro-dealers (wholesalers) to access fertilizers. Most of the retail agro-dealers are not handling DAP and Urea fertilizers due to price controls set by the government that do not allow them to make profit margins.

DECEMBER 2017

Market Comments 

Although the demand for fertilizers was high, supply of DAP and Urea was low at the retail agro-dealer level. Input retailers have not purchased from the wholesalers where the supply is high because the set market price by the government for DAP and Urea, does not allow profitable margins.

Most retail agro-dealers have sold other fertilizers that are more profitable than DAP and Urea. According to agro-dealers in the Southern and Northern regions there was improvement in sales in December compare to last month. Meanwhile, agro-dealers in central Tanzania are waiting for the next season.

NOVEMBER 2017

Market Comments 

The bulk procurement system is now proceeding smoothly with the Government sending out indicative selling prices at all levels, farm gate and town.

The rainy season has begun in the Southern highlands with increased sales of fertilizer, given that planting is beginning this month.

OCTOBER 2017

Market Comments 

The planting season for the short rain season has just begun, fertilizer sales are on the increase.  Recommended prices are almost the same in most areas as government has resolved to make bulk procurement for DAP, UREA and CAN this year. Some Hub agro dealers have resorted to retail sales instead of wholesale as they have not been paid for participating in the subsidy distribution two years ago.