Rice cultivation at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). - - Raising Food Crop Production through Adequate Use of Fertilizer: GCPF/BOL/018/NET. Fertilizer consumption in Bolivia is extremely low. The major reasons are insufficient knowledge of fertilizer use and requirements among farmers, lack of technical assistance and limited availability of imported fertilizers. Although organic fertilizers, such as chicken and cattle manure are used, capacity and potential production are too limited for large-scale application at a national level. In 1986, the Bolivian Government requested a project aimed at introducing rational fertilizer use with the objective of increasing land crop production, thus helping to raise the small farmer's income and living standards. Financed by the Government of the Netherlands and executed by FAO, the project operations began in 1987.