Soil fertility, fertilizer usage issues in Uganda

The use of fertilizers in Uganda is amongst the lowest in the world. According to the 'Uganda Fertilizer Strategy 2006 Draft Report,' it is estimated that between 1996 and 2000, fertiliser usage was 0.37kg fertilizer nutrients per hectare. This is compared to 4kg/ha in Mozambique, 6kg/ha in Tanzania, Malawi 16kg/ha, Kenya 31.6kg/ha, South Africa 51kg/ha, USA 105kg/ha and 578 kg/ha in The Netherlands.

"Interventions have led to an increase in the use of fertilizers of up to one kilogramme per hectare," says Dr. Silim Nahdy, the National Agricultural Advisory Services executive director.

In the early 1960s, Ugandan farmers used 2,600 tonnes of fertilizers per year. This increased to 8,100 tonnes in the early 1970s. This dropped to almost zero from 1979 to 1984 due to political turmoil in the country. Official fertilizer imports are estimated at 25,000-30,000 tonnes annually.

The report says reasons for the low fertilizer usage in Uganda include the wrong perception that the country's soils do not need replenishment, and the fact that farmers have insufficient knowledge of the advantages of fertilizers. The report also points to the high prices of fertilizers and the low level of their distribution in rural areas..

The report breaks down the nutrient depletion of Uganda soils as being 72kg of nitrogen, 23kg of potassium and 43kg of calcium per hectare. Soil degradation in Uganda has also deprived plants of sulphur, magnesium, iron and boron. Nutrient mining is estimated to reach 87kg/ha per annum by the year 2010. The draft stresses the need that to to replace lost soil nutrients from external sources in order to maintain yields in the country, saying the soil nutrient mining has been taking place over a long period.

The rapid rate of urbanization has resulted in the high export of soil nutrients through increased delivery of foodstuffs to urban centres, increasing the rate at which the country's soils are degraded. A United Nations Environment Programme report in 1997 estimated that 65% of African soils are degraded.

Possible sources of external nutrients to improve soil fertility include farmyard manure. Improved seeds and mineral fertilisers could also help to maintain and boost yields. Records in Uganda point to 50% higher yields where there is application of fertilizers.

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