Norwegian firm to build fertilizer storage facility

Yara Tanzania, a Norwegian firm, has signed a contract with Db- Shapriya and Company Limited for construction of a fertilizer storage terminal at the Port in Dar es Salaam.

The project worth 20 million US dollars (about 32bn/-) will have a capacity to handle 200,000 tonnes of fertilizers per year and a revolving capacity of 50,000 tonnes, according to Yara Tanzania Managing Director, Mr Wayne Forbes.

“It is our hope that the facility will boost the ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ initiative,” Mr Forbes said, shortly after signing the contract with the Chairman and Managing Director of Dp- Shapriya, Mr Kishor Shapriya, in Dar es Salaam over the weekend.

The storage facility, scheduled for completion in October, next year, will increase storage capacity at the port for both transit and domestic fertilizers, according to Mr Forbes.

“It will handle bulk and bagged fertilizers, the facility will enable us to maintain the quality of fertilizers,” he said. On whether his company had any plans to set up a fertilizer factory in Tanzania, Mr Forbes said at the moment, they were only considering network expansion.

A peasant applies fertilizer

Mr Shapriya said the project was a very challenging task as it would be implemented on design and build model, whereby the contractor takes all the risks that may arise from the project.

“The contractor will do most of the work and the client will just monitor quality and costs throughout the construction,” he explained. Yara has been operating in the country since 2006 and currently controls about 40 per cent of industrial fertilizers market share.

The local demand and market for agricultural input is growing considerably and more investments in the sector is important. At present, Yara imports about 120,000 tonnes of fertilizers per annum which it then sells to its network of agro-dealers and distributors throughout the country.

Source: The Daily News,www.dailynews.co.tz, reported by Alvar Mwakyusa  

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