Fertiliser availability improves

Elita Chikwati
Senior Agriculture Reporter
FERTILISER availability in the country is improving following the importation and distribution of urea and ammonium nitrate by one of the major suppliers- FSG.

Farmers have been experiencing challenges accessing top dressing fertiliser.

Incessant rains have also caused leaching in most parts of the country, therefore the need for more top dressing fertilisers.

Some middlemen had taken advantage of the situation and were now selling the commodity at exorbitant prices.

FSG spokesman, Mr Ngoni Kandeya confirmed that there had been an improvement in fertiliser supply and distribution.

“There has been a tremendous change in the supply of fertiliser. We supply fertiliser for most of the Government inputs programmes.

“We have imported 45 000 tonnes of top dressing fertiliser into the country and we are pumping out between  3 000-3 500 tonnes per day on the market. We hope by mid-February we would have supplied all the required fertilisers,” he said.

Mr Kandeya said the company had opened various ports of entry for fertiliser including Beira, Maputo and Durban.

“We have also had a tour with Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister showing him what we are doing to improve the fertiliser situation on the ground.”

Zimbabwe Farmers Union secretary general, Mr Paul Zakariya, confirmed that fertiliser shortage had been affecting most farmers.

“Top dressing fertiliser is on high demand because of leaching. Some traders are selling at around US$60 per bag. We hope the situation improves and the crop can be saved,” he said.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president, Dr Shadreck Makombe, said the prices of top dressing fertiliser was now exorbitant and would increase production costs.

“The situation is no longer viable. Urea and ammonium nitrate are being sold at exorbitant prices and this affects farmers as they were not prepared for this increase,” he said.