Research finds no basis for farmers’ negative perception of the quality of fertilizers in Tanzania
Soil fertility and nutrient management are crucial factors in crop production; however, fertilizer adoption in Tanzania (and indeed Africa) remains below the recommended rate contributing to poor crop yields and poverty. This is partly due to farmers’ persistent suspicion that the quality of fertilizers in the market is sub-standard.
However, a recent study titled “Misperceived quality: Fertilizer in Tanzania”, published in the Journal of Development Economics found no reliable evidence to support farmers’ beliefs that the fertilizers available to them at local markets were of poor quality.
The study found that farmers judged the nutrient quality of the fertilizers through physical attributes (visible caking, powdering, foreign material like bugs or small bits of dirt, or discoloration). Many fertilizers appeared degraded, and farmers relied on these observable attributes to incorrectly assess nutrient content. This reduced their trust in fertilizer and willingness-to-buy.
