As Global Fertilizer Disruptions Threaten African Agriculture, Science Helps Ethiopian Farmers Cut Costs
Video Feature - Strategic Partnerships and Tailored Agronomic Advice are Helping Ethiopian Farmers Improve Yields and Resore Soil Health.
For Ethiopian smallholder farmer Lydia Bakala, every kilogram of fertilizer counts. With rising input prices squeezing farm incomes, knowing exactly how much fertilizer her crops need has become an important way to reduce costs without compromising productivity.
Through a partnership between ICRISAT and Self Help Africa, Lydia is among approximately 32000 Ethiopian farmers benefiting from Harmonized Fertilizer and Agronomy Advisory Solutions (HaFAS) - science-based fertilizer recommendations tailored to their crops, soils and local growing conditions.
Since adopting the advice, Lydia has reduced her fertilizer application by 67%, which has substantially lowered her input costs.
For Lydia and thousands of other farmers, the savings are immediate. In Ethiopia the price of a 100kg bag of fertilizer has increased from approximately USD $25 to $88 making efficient fertilizer use essential for farm productivity.
For millions of farmers across Africa facing soaring fertilizer costs, the implications could be far-reaching.
“The fertilizer advisory has helped me understand how much fertilizer my crops actually need. Previously, I used 120 kilograms per acre, but now I use only 40 kilograms. With fertilizer prices going up, this has helped me save money while managing my farm more efficiently,” said Lydia.
Her experience illustrates an increasingly important opportunity for African agriculture as global fertilizer supply chains face disruption and uncertainty.
The conflict in the Middle East and restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for international fertilizer trade, have exposed the vulnerability of countries dependent on imported agricultural inputs.
According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), international urea prices surged from approximately US$400 to more than US$850 per metric ton in April 2026, before easing to around US$453 in June. While nitrogen fertilizer prices subsequently moderated, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) reported in September that phosphate fertilizer markets remained under pressure, with continuing disruptions to sulfur supplies and international trade.
These global disruptions have brought renewed urgency to an initiative already helping Ethiopian farmers manage fertilizer costs.
Led by ICRISAT, Self Help Africa and Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture, (HaFAS), demonstrates how science-based fertilizer recommendations can improve nutrient-use efficiency, reduce unnecessary expenditure and strengthen farmers' resilience to volatile input markets.
ICRISAT Director General Dr Himanshu Pathak said the global fertilizer crisis underscores the strategic importance of equipping farmers and nations with scientific solutions that reduce their exposure to external shocks.
“Disruptions to global fertilizer markets underscore the importance of building agricultural systems that can withstand external shocks.
"For millions of smallholder farmers, particularly women who often face the greatest barriers to accessing agricultural inputs and advisory services, these pressures threaten livelihoods and food security.
“At ICRISAT, we have a responsibility to equip farmers with the scientific knowledge and technologies they need to navigate these challenges.
"Precision fertilizer advisory services are an important part of that response, helping farmers reduce costs, use nutrients more efficiently and sustain productivity.
“Our partnership with Self Help Africa is making a real difference for farmers in Ethiopia, helping them reduce costs and improve their livelihoods. This is precisely the kind of practical, lasting development impact ICRISAT as part of the CGIAR family is committed to delivering with our partners,” said Dr Pathak.
Making every kilogram of fertilizer count
Unlike blanket fertilizer recommendations, (HaFAS) provides crop-specific and location-specific fertilizer recommendations based on soil characteristics, crop nutrient requirements, and local growing conditions.
Conventional blanket fertilizer recommendations often fail to account for variations in soil fertility and crop requirements. This can result in inefficient nutrient application, unnecessary expenditure, and missed opportunities to improve productivity.
ICRISAT's technical team, led by Dr Getachew Agegnhu and Abiro Tigabie, has provided scientific guidance and training to strengthen Self Help Africa's capacity to deliver these recommendations to farming communities.
“The success of fertilizer advisory lies in moving away from blanket recommendations to providing guidance that responds to the specific needs of crops, soils and farming environments.
“When farmers apply the right nutrients in the right quantities, they improve fertilizer-use efficiency, reduce wastage and protect soil health,” says Dr Getachew.
The approach is particularly relevant in Ethiopia, where soil acidity adds another challenge to agricultural productivity. Project information indicates that approximately 43% of the country's soils are acidic, affecting nutrient availability and limiting crop performance.
From agricultural research to farmer adoption
Getting scientific recommendations into farmers’ hands is often as challenging as developing them.
In Ethiopia, ICRISAT and Self Help Africa are bridging that gap through field demonstrations and hands-on engagement with farmers learning how to apply the advice to their own crops and growing conditions.
Self Help Africa Country Director Dinkneh Asfaw says the partnership has been central to translating scientific recommendations into tangible benefits for farmers.
“Our partnership works because we bring complementary strengths. Self Help Africa has an established presence in communities and understands the realities farmers face, while ICRISAT brings frontier science and technical expertise.
"In collaboration, we are translating research into practical solutions that make a real difference in farmers' lives,” says Dinkneh.
Farmer field days have been an important part of the initiative, providing opportunities for communities to observe the recommendations in practice.
At a recent field day in Asagirt, Ethiopia, over 270 farmers, agricultural experts, and government representatives observed wheat performance under HaFAS site-specific fertilizer advisories, demonstrating how locally tailored nutrient management can be applied under real farming conditions.
Strengthening Africa's resilience to global fertilizer shocks
The importance of efficient fertilizer use extends well beyond Ethiopia.
The WTO's analysis of fertilizer trade disruptions identifies several African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, as particularly vulnerable to disruptions in nitrogen fertilizer supplies from the Gulf because of their dependence on imports and exposure to regional suppliers.
These are also among the countries where Self Help Africa is exploring opportunities to expand the fertilizer advisory approach, adapting recommendations to different crops, soils and agricultural environments.
The potential expansion could bring science-based nutrient management to additional farming communities while strengthening national agricultural extension systems and supporting more efficient use of available inputs.
For Lydia, spending less on fertilizer means she can spend more on family essentials and look ahead to a more secure future.
Video Feature
** While the images accompanying this story feature wheat, ICRISAT’s fertilizer advisory work in Ethiopia extends across several crops, including teff, wheat, sorghum and maize, with the approaches and benefits demonstrated here equally relevant to ICRISAT’s mandate crops.
This work aligns with SDGs 1,2,13,15& 17.
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