admin
Mangaliso Lawrence Kabulika
IN a development that will put smiles on farmers’ faces, agro-dealer shops have reduced prices for basic inputs — fertilisers and maize seed ahead of the 2023/24 cropping season with farmers’ organisations admitting the move would make the forthcoming season more viable compared to its predecessors.
In a random survey on Friday, this publication established that most Harare agro-dealers were selling a 50kg bag of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) at a price of between US$37 and US$40 while Compound C and D are going for US$30. A 10kg maize seed is pack is going for US$30.
“The decline in both fertiliser and maize seed prices is a positive thing because at some point, a bag of AN fertiliser was going for US$70 or more and Compound C and D selling at between US$55 and US$65,” Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) secretary general, Mr Paul Zakariya commented.
Mr Zakariya said the drop in prices ensured affordability of inputs to communal farmers who form the bulk of the players in agricultural production category adding that the previous prices for the inputs were out of reach for many.
Meanwhile, Government initiatives such as the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme and the Presidential input scheme will also enhance viability and profitability of farming according to the words of the Zimbabwe Integrated Commercial Farmers Union president, Mrs Maivepi Jiti.
“The Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme and the Presidential input scheme will also enhance productivity and increase profitability for all farmers” said Mrs Jiti
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) president, Dr Shadreck Makombe, however, feels the decline in input prices should also be complimented by viable produce prices at the end of the season to enable farmers to recover the money invested during the process of production.
“Although prices are now low compared to the previous season, fertiliser contributes a bigger portion on input costs, so it should further go down as this will help in recovering our input costs when we sell produce to various buyers,” said Dr Makombe.
His sentiments were also echoed by Mr Zakariya who raised concern over farmers’ grower viability, which he said could not be attained if the market is depressed.
“One major worry for our farmers is grower viability. If the market is depressed against rising production, growers will not be viable,” observed the ZFU secretary general.
A subsequent decline in produce prices will also force the private sector to reduce input costs in order to remain competitive in the industry.
On the one hand, Dr Makombe further highlighted that a decline in prices created a competitive market for the agricultural sector compared to other countries making Zimbabwean produce a better alternative compared to what comes from other countries in the region.
“We hope prices continue going down to enable us to be competitive with other countries, as their prices for fertilisers are very low,” observed Dr Makombe.
Zimbabwe is preparing for the 2023/24 farming season, which starts in October and ends in April.
Online Reporter