Research finds no basis for farmers’ negative perception of the quality of fertilizers in Tanzania Share Share 7 May 2021 Soil fertility and nutrient management are crucial factors in crop production; however, fertilizer adoption in Tanzania (and indeed Africa) remains below the recommended rate contributing to poor crop yields and poverty. This is partly due to farmers’ persistent suspicion that the quality of fertilizers in the market is sub-standard. Journal of Development Economics found no reliable evidence to support farmers’ beliefs that the fertilizers available to them at local markets were of poor quality. A farmer in Tanzania evaluates beans with NPK fertilizer applied at a demonstration plot on fertilizer use for legumes in a past IITA project.