adminHIGH costs of fertilisers are negatively affecting production of crops among communal and small holder farmers throughout the country, an official has said.
Compound D is ranging from $30 to $39 per 50kg bag while Ammonium Nitrate (also known as top dressing) ranges from $36 to $39 per 50kg bag. Fertiliser is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soils or to plant tissues to supply one or more nutrients essential for the growth of plants.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Wonder Chabikwa told New Ziana that the high prices of fertilisers were leading to a decrease in yields, particularly grains and cereals.
“Fertiliser only accounts for 30 percent of total production costs incurred during the farming season which is beyond the reach of many communal farmers,” he said.
“Although we have been educating farmers on the need to use alternatives such as manure and tree leaves, that is not enough alone and this has a huge impact on output,” he added.
Chabikwa said farmers were failing to produce desirable yields because many of them were buying sub-standard agricultural inputs which are relatively cheap on the black market.
In justifying the high prices, fertiliser producing companies say these were driven by production costs.
However, Chabikwa said companies should modernise their equipment in order to reduce production expenses.
“Most of the fertiliser companies are still using old machines which consume a lot of electricity and this has been their reason to increase prices,” he said.
The high prices have seen more than three families pooling resources to buy one bag of fertiliser which they share. – New Ziana
Online Reporter