In Mali, authorities reported fraudulent activities that may put at risk aid agencies’ efforts aiming to boost food security with subsidized fertilizers in West Africa. The country is a key focus of international efforts to promote subsidized fertilizers in Africa and authorities are now scrambling to deter farmers from making money with illegal trade on the subsidies.
In the West African region only four countries, including Mali, are eligible to be a part of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s West Africa Fertilizer Program (USAID WAFP). More specifically, USAID’s “Feed the Future” program focuses on countries like Ghana, Liberia, Mali and Senegal.
According to USAID, the program will increase the regional availability of affordable fertilizers.
Chaka Coulibaly, a farmer living in Sikasso, told AFKInsinder via phone that the authorities are also working to combat those who sell fertilizers in neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast.
“The minister of agriculture himself warned people about new measures aiming to punish any person involved in selling fertilizers out of Mali,” Coulibaly said.
In early August, Malian officials said hundreds of tons of subsidized fertilizers have been seized by customs, which has been ordered to track middle men trying to export subsidized fertilizers into neighboring countries.
According to the Malian minister of Agriculture, Dr. Bocary Treta, the government won’t tolerate people exporting subsidized fertilizers and will follow-up particularly within the region of Sikasso.
In this region, which produces most of the country’s cotton and cereals, more than 270,000 farmers benefited from subsidized fertilizers for the production of rice and maize since the rainy season started last June. According to the Malian government, more than 80 percent of subsidized fertilizers distributed to the region have been used.
Food Security and Nutrition
Fertilizer seized by customs are part of those subsidies, local government officials who control supplies said. Farmers who participate in illegal schemes sell their authorization documents to middlemen wanting to export the fertilizers.
According to Amed Ag Boya, the regional director of customs, 23 tons of fertilizer has been seized in the region of Sikasso.
“The fertilizers seized have been sold on public auction and the money has been transferred to the public treasury,” Ag Boya said.
Now, the Malian minister of agriculture pleads for new judiciary actions like a forfeit against the transgressors who would generally face prison. So far local magistrates punished the transgressors with 1 to 5 years of imprisonment.
One of the key goals of the subsidy policy is the establishment of a public-private sector in West Africa for the widespread use of fertilizers in the future. Foreign aid agencies that initiated the program hope to promote the creation of professional private trade organizations connecting many other countries of the region.
Instead of 12,500 CFA ($25), in 2013 the new Malian president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, said he made the decision to drop the price of subsidized fertilizers to 11,000 CFA francs ($22). According to president Keita, the Malian economy is supported by agriculture, which represents 36 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and accounts for 85 percent of the Malian population living out of big cities.
The drop in fertilizers price aims to reduce poverty in rural areas, as it can help farmers to produce more. The new price is supported by a 2014 campaign for agricultural development. In addition to poverty reduction, the government hopes that through the increase of farmers’ incomes, the plan will improve food security and combat malnutrition on a broader level.
Cheating with Farmers
Cotton Producers, who mainly live in the South of Mali, are supposed to be among those who will benefit the most from the reduction of the price of subsidized fertilizers. Meanwhile, some observers see the government’s decision as a political act that will fail to improve the conditions of Malian farmers.
According to Coulibaly, the average yield of cotton is one ton per hectare. A farmer needs four bags of fertilizers per hectare, which represents only a benefit of 6,000 CFA ($12). The loss in cotton price will lead farmers to lose 9,000 CFA (around $18) per ton.
“If you just need one or two bags, it may not be an important loss. But those who have to buy several tons of fertilizers cannot accept this. They can purchase much more with the amount t they will lose,” Ousmane Kone, a cotton producer of Bougouni, in the South of Mali, told AFKInsider. He was disappointing to find out that the 50 kilos (110 lbs) bag of fertilizer weighs around 45 kilos (99 lbs).
Other farmers complain about the quantity of the fertilizers they buy from some middlemen they accuse of stealing them.