The development of the agriculture sector and improvement of the living standards of small-scale farmers are priorities of the Government of Malaysia. A higher level of agricultural production requires an increased and/or more efficient use of inputs, especially fertilizers. Fertilizer purchases by smallholder farmers are subsidized. A better use of available organic wastes, organic farming and integrated farming systems is being promoted. There is a highly competitive distribution sector for fertilizers. Fertilizer use in Malaysia is characterized by a large consumption of directly applied phosphate rock, attributable to the acidic nature of the soils and the large area of perennial plantation crops, and of potassium owing to the large area of oil-palm. Oil-palm is by far the largest fertilizer-consuming crop in Malaysia. In this publication, the quantities of fertilizers used on thirty crops, divided into five groups, are calculated based on recommended fertilizer rates, expected and achieved yields. Information is given on fertilizer prices, crop prices and, as an indication of the profitability of fertilizer use, the crop price: nutrient price ratios for a selection of fruit and vegetable crops.
