status and challenges of soil health in africa, bashir jama - agra, ghana
TRANSCRIPT
Status and challenges of soil
health in Africa
Bashir Jama
AGRA, Ghana
Presentation at the ‘Launch of Global Soil Partnership in
West and Central Africa’
4-6 April, 2013
Labadi Beach hotel, Accra, Ghana
Outline
•Putting the problem into context
•Solution – fertilizer within integrated soil
fertility management practices; associated
challenges
•Opportunities scaling up emerging impacts
through country-level soil health consortia
and related partnership (GSP and others)
2
The Sahelian Drylands Area: 1.2m km2
Population: 38m
Millet & sorghum belt: 23m ha
Predominantly Alfisols and
Arenosols
Humid Forest Zone Area: 5.8m km2
Population: 168m
Cassava belt: 18m ha
Rice potential: 2m ha
Predominantly Oxisols and
Ultisols
Moist Savanna and
Woodland Zones Area: 4.4m km2
Population: 157m
Maize belt: 32m ha
CA potential: 7m ha
Predominantly Alfisols
The diversity of soils and crops in Africa calls for site specific ISFM recommendations
Key entry points: Unhealthy soils,
Untamed water
Nutrients on the move
I Increasing fertilizer supplies : starts with
improving ports
Accounts for
15-30% of the
C.I.F costs
7
Beira port, Mozambique
Support local production where feasible, e.g., Minjingu in Tanzania
Blends: 60,000 to 90,000 MT p.a. Opened outlets in Kenya in 2010 AFAP now improving access to financing
Awareness creation and training farmers
on fertilizer use is essential
Source: AGRA database (2012)
Fertilizer use closes maize yield across countries
10
Confidential
Microdose Control
Start small, e.g., fertilizer micro-dosing in
low rainfall areas
Increase agrodealer networks
• Over 14,000 trained
by AGRA and
partners
• Distance reduced to
< 2km in some
regions
• Providing extension
and advisory
services
11
Strengthening of fertilizer regulatory systems is
essential
12
POOR QUALITY FERTILIZER
Improve access to markets – will require strengthening farmers associations
Promote integration with legumes and organic sources of fertilizers
Improve access to financing – major challenge
• Link agro-dealers and
smallholder farmers to
financial institutions
• Develop attractive credit
guarantee schemes with
financial institutions
• Improve access to markets
for produce
15
No. of farmers using ISFM tech are increasing
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
2008 (startof SHP)
2009(baseline)
2010 2011 2012
No
. of
farm
ers
Mig
liaia
Years
Country–level Soil Health Consortia
established in 12 country
• Leverage resources
• Keep development
linked closely to
research
• Improve monitoring
process
• Improve information
sharing and capacity
development
• Provide GSP platform
for rapid progress
