Low fertilizer application has serious implications in sub-Saharan Africa where 20% of the population facing food insecurity (FAO et al., 2026). While fertilizer usage worldwide averages 139 kg per hectare, in sub-Saharan African fertilizer averages only 22 kg per hectare. It is also significantly lower than in East Asia and the Pacific where the average usage is 278kg per hectare (Ragasa et al., 2025). And, because fertilizer is used more intensively in commercial crops, such as sugar and tobacco, the shortfall in fertilizer usage is even greater for crops, such as maize, that feed domestic markets (Mahuma et al., 2024). 

While many factors drive low fertilizer usage in sub-Saharan Africa, high prices are key and a significant constrain for many smallholder farmers who have limited resources. Focusing specifically on the East and Southern Africa (ESA) region, it is evident that these high fertilizer prices are the consequence of highly concentrated markets that rely on imported fertilizers supplied by a limited number of companies. This assessment is based on two findings. First, fertilizer prices do not reflect the import parity price, with prices in the ESA region more than double international benchmark prices. And, second, the region likely faces an asymmetric price transmission given that prices in the ESA region do not track with worldwide price trends. These two findings indicate significant competition concerns that require action