Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture has entered a strategic partnership with Zambia’s United Capital Fertilizer Limited (UCFL) to strengthen domestic fertilizer production, particularly for tobacco cultivation. Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe announced the collaboration during the signing of an import and distribution agreement for NPK 10:18:24 fertilizer between UCFL and Tanzania Fertilizer Company (TFC).
The agreement includes UCFL’s commitment to establish a specialized tobacco fertilizer manufacturing facility in Tanzania, with preliminary work already underway. Minister Bashe assured farmers of continued government support through the fertilizer subsidy program, which will remain in place until domestic tobacco growers achieve full self-sufficiency and market competitiveness.
Current plans aim to increase tobacco production from 120,000 metric tons in 2024 to 160,000 tons in the coming season, with an ambitious target of 200,000 tons in subsequent years. The minister cited Serengeti District’s recent achievement of producing over 2.2 million kilograms of tobacco as evidence of the sector’s growth potential.
Bashe called on agricultural cooperatives to ensure proper storage facilities are prepared for the incoming fertilizer shipments ahead of the next planting season. The government has pledged to maintain favourable investment conditions for private sector participation in fertilizer production, with UCFL expected to play a key role in modernizing Tanzania’s tobacco industry infrastructure.
