adminElita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Local fertiliser firms have 250 000 tonnes in stock, enough to cater for the 2015-16 farming season, fertiliser industry spokesperson Mr Misheck Kachere said yesterday. The country requires 360 000 tonnes of compounds and ammonium nitrate fertilisers. So far 110 000 tonnes of fertilisers have been distributed to farmers countrywide. “We have already imported 100 000 tonnes of fertilisers. So far 80 000 tonnes have arrived and 10 000 tonnes are on the way.
“We are looking at a total demand of 360 000 tonnes of fertilisers this season and 110 000 tonnes have already been sold to farmers. The 110 000 tonnes exclude the fertiliser disbursed under the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme,” he said. Fertiliser distributed so far include that used for winter wheat.
“The fertiliser uptake is still low. Farmers do not have enough cash. It is also too early for the uptake to increase since most farmers buy fertilisers after the rains. “The other reason for the low uptake is that some farmers are still waiting for price reductions. Of course we will continue revising the prices downwards,” he said.
The fertiliser industry said prices would this season decline by 20 percent due to the increase in production capacity. When the capacity increases, costs decline and this will translate into lower prices.
So far fertiliser prices have declined by 9 percent. Farmers have over the past seasons complained of high fertiliser costs and called on Government to subsidise the commodity. But Mr Kachere said Zimbabwe had always had competitive prices of fertiliser considering the nutritional components.
Online Reporter