FAO scales up procurement of fertilizers for Tigray

In Tigray, northern Ethiopia, FAO is scaling up the urgent procurement of fertilizers to help farmers sow their fields in the midst of the critical planting season thanks to a $10 million loan recently approved by the United Nations’ Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
The loan, which forms part of resource partners’ commitments, is helping FAO to accelerate the procurement and delivery of crucial agricultural inputs to Tigray, particularly fertilizers, which must be delivered and applied by end of August 2022.
The provision of fertilizer will help restore the productive capacity of farmers in Tigray, where, as is the case in all regions affected by internal conflict, there has been widespread disruption of agricultural activities, elevated levels of acute food insecurity, and loss of livelihoods since November 2020.
“We are grateful to our resource partners, and to CERF for recognizing the need to act swiftly in supporting own food production in Tigray to avert the worrying levels of acute food insecurity,” said David Phiri, FAO Subregional Coordinator for eastern Africa and Representative for Ethiopia a.i.. “If farmers receive the inputs they need, they will be able to harvest and begin consuming this produce from October 2022. These harvests would cover their food needs for at least six months, and in the best case scenario, up to the next harvest for a significant proportion of the households, with surplus to sell,” he added.