In Luda Kebele of the Hula District in Ethiopia’s Sidama Regional State, two farmers — Melese Maja and Gendeshu Tunsisa — have seen their wheat harvests rise sharply after joining a pilot cluster that is testing OC-MASSA, the country’s first TSP-enhanced soil fertilizer.
The project, set on a 10-hectare block of farmland, brings together 41 smallholders. It also unfolds against a sobering backdrop: a recent study shows that 62 percent of Sidama’s agricultural land suffers from low soil pH, a level of acidity that severely constrains crop productivity.
For Melese and Gendeshu, the shift has been transformative.
Before OC-MASSA, Melese said he struggled with declining yields despite intensive labor. This year, after applying the fertilizer for the first time, his wheat output rose dramatically.
“Prior to this year, we had no knowledge of OC-MASSA,” he said. “But this farming season, I harvested more than I ever expected.” He says the bumper harvest is because the enhanced fertilizer has improved the condition of the soil.
Gendeshu shares a similar story. For years, he relied on DAP (Diammonium Phosphate), a common fertilizer, but his yields remained modest. OC-MASSA, he said, changed that trajectory.
“Now I am more productive than in previous years because the fertilizer has raised our level of output,” he said. He added that frequent follow-up by fertilizer suppliers strengthened his practices. “The advice they give us, the strategy they introduce, and the methods they provide have helped us improve our efforts.”
His land, he noted, had long been weakened by soil acidity and persistent plant diseases — problems he said local administrations had struggled to address. This season marked the first time he saw clear recovery.
Their experience is increasingly shared across the cluster: all 41 participating farmers reported measurable gains attributed directly to OC-MASSA. The results are especially striking in light of national data from OCP Ethiopia showing that 43 percent of Ethiopia’s land is acidic and suffering from critically low pH levels.
The same study highlights regional disparities. In the former Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), 72 percent of soils are classified as acidic. Under the country’s new federal arrangement, Sidama’s farmland now stands at 62 percent affected.
These findings were presented during a December 6 field visit to the OC-MASSA Wheat Cluster Demonstration, organized by OCP Ethiopia in partnership with the Sidama Region Agricultural Research Institute (SiRARI).
Researchers from SiRARI describe the initiative as a science-driven formulation that embeds granulated lime into a TSP-based blend, allowing it to correct soil acidity while improving phosphorus efficiency. During the visit, participants observed stronger crop stand uniformity, higher tiller numbers, denser wheat spikes, longer spike length, and an overall improvement in plant vigor.
Officials and experts at the event underscored the fertilizer’s significance. The Head of East Africa at OCP Nutricrops noted that soil acidity remains one of Ethiopia’s most persistent agricultural barriers — and that OC-MASSA is emerging as a practical, scalable solution tailored to the country’s conditions.
Local officials also used the visit to underscore the significance of the work unfolding in Luda. The Hula District Administration Head welcomed participants and praised OCP Ethiopia’s role in advancing science-based agricultural support. Sidama’s Regional Agriculture Bureau Head emphasized that real transformation requires equipping farmers with appropriate inputs, noting that OC-MASSA requires only three quintals per hectare — compared with the 30 quintals of conventional lime.
“Our long-standing collaboration with OCP Ethiopia has strengthened fertilizer research and demonstrations in the region,” the bureau’s director said. “Together, we are generating evidence-based solutions that directly address farmers’ production challenges and contribute to national efforts to improve productivity in areas affected by soil acidity.”
The demonstration in Sidama is part of a nationwide initiative launched in June 2025 across five regions — including Oromia, Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, and South Ethiopia — to assess OC-MASSA across multiple crops such as wheat, maize, teff, barley, soybean, and common bean. Researchers from SiRARI reported that the large-scale trials, conducted on 10 hectares across two woredas and involving 41 farmers, produced compelling evidence that the fertilizer is ready for commercial production.
Representatives from OCP Ethiopia and regional research institutes reiterated that their collaboration seeks to generate practical, data-driven solutions for farmers grappling with soil acidity. “The results here in Luda village show how the appropriate application of customized fertilizer blends, along with improved agronomic practices, can close yield gaps, support wheat self-sufficiency, and improve household incomes,” said the Head of East Africa at OCP Nutricrops.
Farmers who participated in the tour, including Melese and Gendeshu, shared their impressions from the season. They noted that the fertilizer’s impact on tillering reduced their seeding rate by half. “We expect 45 quintals per hectare — it shows the fertilizer fits our soil,” they said.
In closing remarks, the Ministry of Agriculture reaffirmed its commitment to promoting evidence-based inputs and strengthening partnerships that advance tailored fertilizer solutions. Officials called for scaling up such technologies, deepening institutional collaboration, and expanding capacity-building programs for farmers and extension workers to increase adoption of OC-MASSA nationwide.
The research underlying the demonstration was led by Selamyihun Kidanu (PhD), principal agronomist at OCP Ethiopia. He explained that acidic soils restrict crop access to essential nutrients such as phosphorus, suppress microbial activity, and deprive plants of key elements — conditions that can cut yields in affected areas to half the national average.
Selamyihun said OC-MASSA addresses these constraints through a dual mechanism. “The granulated limestone component actively neutralizes soil acidity in the root zone, where plants need it most,” he told The Reporter. “The highly soluble TSP then supplies readily available phosphorus, which is essential for early root development, energy transfer, and higher yields.”
He emphasized that mitigating soil acidity remains one of Ethiopia’s most enduring agricultural challenges, and that scaling up solutions like OC-MASSA requires long-term investment and coordinated action. “By harnessing our collective expertise and working with the land, we can turn even our most stubborn challenges into opportunities for a more productive and self-sufficient future,” he said.
The outcomes in Luda — including the experiences of Melese and Gendeshu — illustrate that OC-MASSA could play a decisive role in reversing declining soil fertility and laying the foundation for durable improvements in Ethiopia’s agricultural productivity.
