WillAgri
Members of the West African Fertilizer Association (Wafa) built up stocks in anticipation of supply chain disruptions due to Covid-19, and faster than in previous years. By mid-May, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal alone had imported about 1.1 million tonnes (Mt) of fertilizer; in these countries, 80% of the season’s needs are already in stock, according to the latest bulletin of the West African Fertilizer Observatory. However, small markets such as Liberia, Niger and Sierra Leone have covered less than half of their needs for this season. Thirteen of the 17 countries in the region have fertilizer subsidy programmes in place. Seven of them subsidize more than 50 percent of the national fertilizer market, relative to the size of their respective markets, the report says. It should be noted that, in general, fertilizers in West Africa do not pay customs duties, while seeds and pesticides are taxed at only 5%. WAFA represents the interests of the private fertilizer sector in West Africa; it has 60 members in 12 countries that account for more than 90% of all fertilizers imported and produced in West Africa.
Source: CommodAfrica