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Africa: Morocco’s OCP Group Throws Fertilizer Lifeline to Africa’s Beleaguered Farmers

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The World Food Programme has warned that the global fertilizer shortage could wipe $11bn off Africa’s food production value this year and create a catastrophic decline in output. Thankfully, Morocco’s OCP Group, leader in plant nutrition and the world leader in the phosphate fertilizer market, has stepped up with a rescue package that could stem the tide. OCP Africa CEO Dr Mohamed Anouar Jamali (pictured) is in conversation with Anver Versi.

Africa’s small-scale farmers who produce the bulk of the continent’s food, battered by a double-whammy of unseasonal weather and a 30% hike in fertiliser prices, will find considerable comfort from the news that the Morocco-based OCP Group is coming to their rescue; they are rolling out perhaps the continent’s largest ever private sector fertilizer relief programme.

African farmers, whose application of fertilizer is still the lowest compared to their counterparts in any other region in the world, face a grim prospect as global shortages of this vital input have raised prices well out of reach of most of them.

The spillover affects local food production just as the grain supply bottlenecks from Ukraine and Russia begin to seriously bite. China, hoarding its own stocks of fertilizer by selective bans on exports, has been compounding the problem.

The UN World Food Programme has warned that the fertiliser shortage “could push an additional seven million people into food scarcity”. It is estimated that cereal production in 2022 will decline to about 38m tonnes from the previous year’s output of more than 45m tonnes. It is feared the continent could lose over $11bn in food production value.

Enter OCP Group with a rescue package. “Within the context of disruption in the global supply chain of fertilizers, we believe that urgent action to secure the availability and affordability of fertilizers in Africa is necessary,” Dr Mohamed Anouar Jamali, CEO of OCP Africa told New African. “We are launching our largest ever fertilizer relief programme to empower African farmers” he said.

The Moroccan company, founded over a hundred years ago, is today one of the world’s largest fertilizer manufacturers, with access to 70% of the global phosphate rock reserves and over 30% market share of the world’s phosphate product market.

Dr Jamali explained that the multi-pronged relief programme will involve making 550,000 tonnes of phosphate-based fertilizer available to smallscale African food farmers either free or at greatly reduced cost.

Of the 550,000 tonnes, Dr Jamali said, 180,000 tonnes will be given away as a donation from the company and the remaining 370,000 tonnes will be sold at greatly discounted prices.

“This represents some 16% of the continent’s phosphate fertilizer needs,” said Dr Jamali. “OCP Africa is supplying about 2m tonnes of P fertilizer annually to the African continent and this operation represents about a quarter of this volume.”

Dr Jamali said the emergency operation was in response to appeals made to the organisation from various bodies in African countries which are struggling to obtain fertilizers at affordable prices. The programme will cover 20 African countries.

“The fertilizer will be specifically targeted at smallholder farmers which account for most Africa’s food production,” Dr Jamali explained. “Over 90% will go towards the production of staple crops like maize, rice, sorghum and teff.”

The allocation of the fertilizer relief will be based on potential impact and will take into consideration the needs of farmers, seasonality and distribution logistics, he added. “We will conduct this operation hand-in-hand with local strategic partners, including governments and distributors to ensure OCP products reach local markets and farmers”.

The relief programme, which will roll out over 20 African countries, has already started. Earlier this month, OCP donated 15,000 tonnes of Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizers to Rwanda. An additional 17,000 tonnes will be supplied at a discounted price.

Gérardine Mukeshimana, Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources said the donation was of a “special importance at this period when fertilizer costs are high.” She added that 10,000 tonnes were going to be used as a strategic fertilizer reserve and 5,000 tonnes would be a starting stock for a new fertilizer blending plant under construction.

The plant a joint venture between OCP Group and the Government of Rwanda, will have the capacity to blend 100,000 tonnes of fertilizer annually when it becomes operational next year.

Dr Anouar Jamali said the emergency relief contribution as well as the company’s increasingly intimate relationships with various African countries is in line with Morocco’s vision of South-South cooperation initiated by King Mohamed V1. “His Majesty says ‘Africa should trust Africa’ and that is what we as a pan-African country believe in,” added Dr Jamali.

Training and supply chain support

He was keen to stress that providing a much needed supply of fertilizer to Africa in its time of need is only part of the company’s strategy. “We need to bring all sorts of support to farmers, including training on the best agriculture practice for sustainable fertilization and also include a supply chain support.

“Our mission is to provide the most affordable and suitable farm solution through our holistic crop value chain approach and our application of R&D and innovation.”

A subsidiary of OCP Group, OCP Africa was created in 2016 to “contribute to the sustainable development of African agriculture”. Dr Jamali said the organisation developed fertilizer solutions customised to local conditions such as soil consistency, weather patterns as well as the crop needs. “We also work with many different African governments, non-profits and private enterprises to connect farmers to the agricultural services, knowledge, and resources they need in order to prosper,” he added.

Based in Morocco, OCP Africa has a presence in 16 countries, as well as subsidiaries in 12 countries including Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon. “We have dedicated 20% of our total fertilizer output to meet African demand,” said Dr Jamali, “but we have the capacity to increase our output several times if needed.”

The massive disruption to international supply chains caused initially by the Covid pandemic and exacerbated by the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, which have precipitated alarming levels of shortages and price hikes, has surely driven home the message that Africa can no longer depend on imports to pick up the slack in its own food production.

It must ramp up food production quickly and to do this, it needs fertilizers in plenty. The fact that it is hitherto the lowest user of fertilizer in the world and has some 65% of the world’s arable land available for cultivation indicates that it can indeed become the breadbasket of the world. OCP Group, as one of the world’s largest fertilizer manufacturers and currently engaged on a $8bn expansion plan, could well be the lynchpin around which the continent can frame its agricultural acceleration strategy.

Dr Anouar Jamali says, “Our mission is to unlock Africa’s full agricultural potential”. OCP has the key – the question is whether Africa collectively is willing to turn it and open the door.

Award-winning journalist Anver Versi is the editor of New African magazine. He was born in Kenya and is currently based in London, UK.

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July 24, 2022
Africa: Wafcon 2022 – South Africa’s Bayana Bayana Are African Champions

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South Africa won all six matches in Morocco en route to becoming African Champions.

The South African women’s national team are the new champions of women’s football in Africa. The Banyana Banyana beat host Morocco 2-1 to officially dethrone Nigeria’s Super Falcons as the new queens of football on the continent.

After coming close on a number of occasions; getting to the finals five times, Banyana Banyana finally got it right Saturday in Rabat. Hildah Magaia was the heroine; hitting two crucial goals that saw Bayana Bayana taking over from Nigeria as the new champions.

Tense final

The Banyana showed intent early in the game and three minutes from the start, they nearly had the lead through a snapshot from Magaia in the area, but it was cleared following a loose ball.

As the Atlas Lionessess settled into the game, they caused the South African defence a lot of headaches but just could not get the goal they wanted. Morocco appeared fired up shortly after the halftime period and were able to break through the defensive lines of the South Africans, but nothing worthwhile materialised.

Banyana finally found a breakthrough midway in the second half when Magaia got space in the box and finished off Jermaine Seoposenwe’s cutback. While the Moroccans were battling for an equaliser, the Banyana doubled their lead in the 71st minute. And it was Magaia again who connected with Karabo Dhlamini’s long pass and finished off from close-range to complete her brace.

Morocco didn’t go down without a fight as they pulled one back through a calm first-time finish in the area from Rosella Ayane. However, in spite of persistent pressure from all fronts, the Banyana held on for the win and their first continental title.

South Africa won all six matches in Morocco en route to becoming African Champions.

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July 24, 2022
Africa’s week in pictures: 15-21 July 2022

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A selection of the week’s best photos from across the continent and beyond:

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On Friday a Maasai man and his wife stand outside their new house in Handeni, Tanzania, after authorities controversially relocated Maasai pastoralists from the Ngorongoro conservation area.

On Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria, a young woman poses with an old Volkswagen car at the Vintage Africana museum.

While in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Monday a woman walks through a project growing vegetables, which has been set up to try and tackle rising food prices.

On the same day in the Italian capital, Rome, Kenyan writer Khadija Abdalla attends the International Festival of Rome at the Palatine Stadium.

In Kenya on Saturday one man celebrates at a political rally in Kisumu as he waits for a cash handout, which are being given out at these events ahead of elections next month.

There is more election fever in Nigeria on Sunday as people celebrate the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, in gubernatorial elections in Osun State…

In the capital, Abuja, a man holds up election posters in support of the ruling All Progressives Congress party on Wednesday, ahead of a presidential vote next year.

In the village of Djiffer in Senegal, a man sits down by the beach on Tuesday…

In the nearby village of Palmarin, a donkey is captured outside a mosque.

On Monday an Egyptian handball player goes up against Cape Verde defenders in Cairo at the African Nations Handball Championship.

On the same day at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali takes a leap during the steeplechase race, which he goes on to win.

South African cricket player Khaya Zondo is all smiles as his team trains in the UK city of Manchester…

As is British-Nigerian actor John Boyega as he attends the ESPY awards in Hollywood on Wednesday.

On Tuesday a man helps tackle a huge fire in the Borj Cedria forest in the southern suburb of Tunisia’s capital, Tunis.

While the sun sets in Algiers, Algeria, on Friday.

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Images subject to copyright.

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July 22, 2022
South Africa’s power cuts take a toll on mental health | The Guardian Nigeria News

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You can’t do your work because there’s no power. You eat late and bolt your food before the lights fail. And then to be at home, in the utter dark, gives you the creeps.

As blackouts unfurl across South Africa, triggered by problems that have overwhelmed its energy provider, stress is taking a mounting toll on mental health, experts say.

“People are frustrated, some (are) angry, some are experiencing symptoms” of post-traumatic stress disorder, said Sinqobile Aderinoye, a psychologist in Johannesburg.

“The consistent on-and-off of the electric grid is creating an air of disillusionment.”

South Africa has struggled for years with power cuts, known here as load-shedding, as as its monopoly utility Eskom failed to keep pace with demand.

But ageing infrastructure and labour disputes have added to the crisis — and in recent weeks, the country has been hit by rolling blackouts that can last up to nine hours a day.

“There was a time … I felt like I was going to scream,” said Blessed Dlamini, a 25-year-old father living in downtown Johannesburg.

For five hours, he recalled, he had no power as he struggled to work and at the same time deal with a hungry two-year-old.

“It was very, very hectic,” said Dlamini who works for a sexual health centre.

Blackouts eased this week, with cuts reduced to about two hours a day.

But the schedule of cuts provided by Eskom is not always followed, giving rise to an unpredictability that leaves many people on edge.

The crisis “is leading to feelings of hopelessness, which is associated with depression,” said Claire Lownie, a psychiatrist in Johannesburg’s financial centre, Sandton.

Fight-or-flight
Plunged into darkness with a sense of unmet basic needs, the human brain can be triggered into survival mode, leading to a fight-or-flight response, explained Aderinoye.

“The brain starts to think we are under attack. The body is then notified that we are in danger and we create an anxiety response,” she said.

At work, on the streets or around the dinner table, swapping tips on how to cope with blackouts has become a national pastime.

Some people prefer the romantic feel of candles to light their homes, while others resort to camping lanterns.

Others debate whether coughing up money for take-out meals is preferable to investing in gas cookers or simply eating at odd hours.

Yet, in a country burdened by high crime rates, outages aren’t a simple inconvenience. Fear of burglary, assault or rape runs deep.

“You cannot go around when it’s dark,” said Flora Sithole, 30, a domestic worker employed in the upmarket Johannesburg suburb of Rosebank.

“We are so afraid of that — it’s not safe. Our country is not safe.”

The added stress caused by power cuts often compounds an already precarious situation, psychologists say.

Anxiety, depression and other disorders were already up almost two-thirds since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Cheryl Johnston, a Johannesburg-based psychologist.

“A lot of people are at or crossing over (their) breaking point,” she said.

The result can be “abnormal behaviour” as well as angry or violent outbursts, Johnston said.

Having a plan and being prepared to deal with the cuts is the best way to cope, according to health experts.

Dlamini said he has joined Twitter to follow the city’s electricity updates more closely.

Better mental health awareness is also crucial, Johnston said.

“Being able to be honest with yourself about the emotions that you’re having and waiting for yourself to be calm before taking action… is the best thing you can do,” she said.

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July 20, 2022
Africa: South Africa’s ANC Marches to a Different Drum Than Africa

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The ruling party still sees the world as a battleground between neo-liberalism and revolutionary progressivism.

Reading the foreign policy chapter of the African National Congress’s (ANC) 2022 discussion paper, one gets a sense that South Africa’s ruling party is increasingly marching to the beat of a different drum to the rest of Africa. Yet the ANC is convinced it’s the only one in step.

ANC foreign policy documents have always been shot through with anachronistic-sounding, Cold War-evoking phrases like assessing the ‘balance of forces’ in the world and Africa. The ANC sees the world as the terrain of a mighty Manichaean battle between good and evil.

On the good side you have the ‘progressive’ or ‘revolutionary’ forces, of which the ANC regards itself as an important standard bearer. Pitched against them are the counter-revolutionary forces of ‘neo-liberalism’ led by the United States (US), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), World Bank, International Monetary Fund, etc.

Globally, the document takes the gloomy view that the bad guys are winning, noting that ‘right-wing extremism, authoritarianism and illiberalism’ are threatening the pursuit of a progressive international agenda. The document makes clear why Pretoria has controversially never condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ANC sees Russia as having been provoked by America’s alleged agenda to eliminate its world rivals.

However, as Priyal Singh, Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), points out: ‘While the discussion document very explicitly outlines the ANC’s opposition to the US-dominated international order, by promoting its own brand of “progressive internationalism”, it fails to account for the fact that Russia and China (in particular) are a poor choice of partners to realise this progressive agenda.’

The ANC still sees the world as the terrain of a mighty Manichaean battle between good and evil

The ANC also sees the progressive and revolutionary forces on the backfoot in Africa. It notes that ‘The progressive movement is relatively weak amongst mass political formations and the Governments on our Continent. The same is also true [regarding] practical commitment to Pan-Africanism.’

The ruling party attributes this weakness largely to ‘the infiltration of the African Union by non-African states through their proxies’ – mainly France, the US, Israel and the ‘monarch-led’ Middle East states. Barely a mention of Russia, even though it is extending its tentacles all over Africa, largely through its proxy, the private military company Wagner.

America’s main crime is to have sucked African states into its global war on terror, particularly in the Sahel and West Africa. ISS Head of African Futures and Innovation Jakkie Cilliers observes that, ‘No doubt the US invasion of Iraq reinvigorated ISIS globally. That, plus NATO’s efforts in Libya are largely responsible for the spread of terror and instability in North and West Africa. So current US efforts to defend those countries are perhaps not inappropriate.’

In the discussion document, France reprises its familiar role as an archvillain in the ANC’s playbook because of its considerable influence in Francophone Africa. Israel is accused of aggressively pursuing relations with African countries and the African Union (AU) — a clear reference to Israel’s efforts to be accredited diplomatically to the AU, which South Africa so vigorously opposed.

Most African states just aren’t as bothered as the ANC about the Western Sahara and Palestine

Morocco – though presumably still regarded by the ANC as African – earns its place in the pantheon of anti-progressive villains for its ‘growing influence.’ This is purportedly ‘inextricably related to the continuing challenge of FrancAfrique which sets French-speaking countries against others including English-speaking African countries in a manner that harms the cohesion of the African Union, its organs and programmes.’

No doubt there is outside meddling in Africa. But the continent – except among the ANC’s fellow former liberation movements in the south – is largely diverging from the ideological preoccupations of the ANC, if it ever shared them. Most African states, one suspects, don’t see the continent primarily as a battleground between neo-liberalism and revolutionary progressivism.

They are increasingly pragmatic and nuanced. Rightly or wrongly, African countries aren’t as bothered about the Western Sahara and Palestine. They see Morocco as an increasingly valuable trade and investment partner and the Israel partnership as useful, especially in fields like water and agriculture. Sahel and West African states probably still primarily appreciate US and French aid in fighting jihadists, even if France lost some ground in Mali, where a military junta recently evicted it.

‘Much of the rest of Africa has moved on from liberation-era politics (and economics) – but not the ANC or its Soviet-era liberation partners in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Mozambique,’ says Cilliers. ‘We continue to pay the price for that delayed maturation.’

The document is not without pertinent introspection. It wonders candidly whether the ANC government might have lost its ‘revolutionary credentials’ as the champion of progressivism in Africa because of its own internal problems. These are referred to as factionalism, the ‘inevitable compromises’ of being in government, the neglect of Africa under Jacob Zuma’s presidency, and growing xenophobia in South Africa.

Except for states in the south, much of Africa is diverging from the ANC’s ideological preoccupations

The draft policy is also pragmatic in places. It proposes, for example, a review of the 2017 decision to withdraw South Africa from the International Criminal Court (ICC). It notes that the AU has resolved to reform the ICC rather than leave the court, so withdrawing would undermine African consensus. The document even suggests a review of the 2017 decision to downgrade the South African embassy in Israel to a liaison office.

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