非洲在采用作物生产技术方面继续取得长足进步。
The U.S. Agency for International Development’s West Africa Fertilizer Program (USAID WAFP) seeks to significantly increase food security and reduce poverty and hunger in West Africa. This five-year program being implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) will have an impact across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.
该计划将通过以下方式增加适当和负担得起的化肥的区域供应和使用：增加私营部门的区域化肥供应和分配；增加对农业技术和方法的了解和使用；提高区域市场交易效率；改善肥料政策和监管框架发展的有利环境。目前，西非的肥料消费量是世界上最低的，肥料分销链受到各种制约因素的阻碍。
“Agriculture is the main engine of economic growth in West Africa and roughly 65% of the population depends on agriculture as their principal livelihood,” stated Dr. Amit Roy, president and chief executive officer of IFDC. “The agriculture sector contributes 30-40% of the region’s gross domestic product and over 15% of regional export earnings. This sector is best positioned to generate sustained and rapid poverty reduction in Africa.”
However, sector growth requires substantial increases in agricultural productivity, along with expanded and sustained integration of smallholder farmers into pre- and post-harvest markets. USAID WAFP will help move smallholder farmers from subsistence to commercial agriculture – farming as a business. This will require adequate supplies of affordable fertilizers and seeds for farmers, as well as access to credit, storage facilities and technical advice. Increasing fertilizer use is a critical element in raising agricultural production and productivity and in realizing the potential of agribusiness opportunities.
IFDC 将与次级受赠方非洲肥料和农业企业合作组织 (AFAP) 密切合作，以缓解供应方面的限制并确保西非可靠、负担得起的肥料供应。
新的肥料进口商将接受业务管理和技术培训，以更准确地预测市场需求，并通过跨国供应商和加工商更好地与全球肥料市场建立联系。这将改进肥料管理信息系统，以监测供需变化。美国国际开发署西非化肥项目还将致力于促进氮、磷、钾肥混合设施以及化肥储存仓库的建设。此外，该项目将促进获得美国国际开发署资助的发展信贷机构 (DCA) 的特定私营部门投资，以增加化肥供应。
来源：IFDC，FCI 工作人员编辑