Locally manufactured fertiliser is expected to account for about 40 per cent of Rwanda’s total fertiliser supply in the 2027A agricultural season, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI). Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Telesphore Ndabamenye said that on Thursday, July 2, during a press conference to launch the 2027Aagricultural input subsidy guidelines. ALSO READ: Rwanda Fertilizer Company launches customised blends to boost yields The estimate is drawn from government projections showing that about 60,000 tonnes of fertiliser will be made available for the season, with 25,000 tonnes expected to be produced locally. “We are looking at building resilience in the fertiliser supply chain so that farmers are not fully exposed to global market instability,” Ndabamenye said. ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s new fertiliser plant could boost agriculture The push for local production comes at a time when fertiliser markets have been hit by rising global prices, affecting supply routes, particularly in key exporting regions. “The objective is to ensure that despite global fluctuations, farmers continue to access inputs at predictable and manageable prices,” he said. Rwanda’s annual fertiliser demand is estimated at between 90,000 and 100,000 tonnes. In the 2025/26 fiscal year, about 16,000 tones of locally-blended fertilizers were used, according to Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). This represents about 16% of the total fertilizer used in the same year. ALSO READ: Rwanda Fertilizer Company rewards top agrodealers driving distribution of customised fertilisers Ndabamenye said farmers are gradually embracing the use of agricultural inputs, a trend he said is expected to drive higher demand for fertilisers in the 2027A season. Locally produced fertiliser currently includes four customised blends developed to match specific land needs across different agro-ecological zones. They include Blended NPK 17:17:17 (Tweze), Blend PK 31-10+8CaO (Twihaze), Blend NPK 15-30-12+5.6S+0.08B+0.1Zn (Ongera+), and Blend NPK 13-26-12+5S+0.07B+0.1Zn (Ongera). Ndabamenye said the blends were developed following soil mapping exercises carried out by RAB in collaboration with partners, aimed at aligning fertiliser formulations with specific crop and soil nutrient needs. We are now planning to expand the number of customised fertiliser formulations from the current four to nine varieties in the coming seasons, as part of efforts to improve productivity and soil efficiency. The minister said the country is already expanding its fertiliser blending and manufacturing capacity, with expectations that local production will continue to grow beyond the current 25,000 tonnes. “The long-term target is that at least 50 per cent of fertiliser used in Rwanda should come from local production. That is where we are heading,” Ndabamenye said.
