Commissioned by the U.S. Agency for International Development, a joint study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and IFDC analyzes the structure and function of fertilizer markets in West Africa. IFDC experts were tasked with identifying key constraints to market performance.
The study, “Policy Options for Improving Regional Fertilizer Markets in West Africa,” is based on data and information from both regional and country-specific studies in Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal. Researchers found severe constraints to the performance of these domestic markets, which ultimately lead to high fertilizer prices and transaction costs. Landlocked countries are particularly challenged – with transportation expenses alone accounting for nearly one-third of total fertilizer costs. In almost all cases, these nations’ domestic marketing costs are doubling fertilizer prices.
Research for the study was conducted by Dr. Balu Bumb, IFDC consulting policy economist, and Dr. Porfirio Fuentes, IFDC senior scientist in trade economics. The project was led by Dr. Michael Johnson, IFPRI research fellow.
Click here to access the study.
