Online Reporter
Debra Matabvu
Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT has suspended import duty on selected fertilisers for 12 months, effective from Monday this week, in a move expected to stabilise supply and ease input costs for farmers during the ongoing 2025-26 summer cropping season.
The suspension is outlined in Statutory Instrument 214 of 2025, which was gazetted this week and issued in terms of the Customs and Excise Act.
The SI removes duty on ammonium nitrate and urea imported by authorised suppliers for one year.
According to the new regulations, only importers approved and licensed by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, working with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the fertiliser manufacturing industry, will benefit from the suspension.
The regulations also require the Minister of Agriculture to draw up a list of reputable importers and set strict tonnage limits.
Under a ring-fenced allocation, 150 000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate and 100 000 tonnes of urea will be eligible for duty-free importation.
“The Minister responsible for Agriculture shall approve a list of reputable fertiliser importers for the purposes of these regulations,” reads the SI.
“The Commissioner shall grant suspension of duty to an approved importer, subject to compliance with section 34C of the Revenue Authority Act.”
The suspension is tied to price-monitoring conditions, with the Government warning that importers who charge prices equal to or higher than the fertiliser on which duty is ordinarily payable will be forced to repay the suspended duty and face penalties.
“The Ministry responsible for Agriculture shall ensure that approved fertiliser importers adhere to responsible pricing of fertilisers for which the Commissioner would have wholly suspended duty payable.
“Any approved fertiliser importer who sells fertilisers for which duty would have been suspended at prices equal to or higher than fertilisers on which duty is ordinarily payable shall be liable to pay the suspended duty and applicable penalties.”
Zimbabwe relies heavily on imported fertiliser, particularly ammonium nitrate, despite recent efforts to revive domestic manufacturing.
Industry players estimate that more than half of the national fertiliser demand is met through imports, exposing farmers to international price volatility and currency depreciation.
In recent seasons, fertiliser has been one of the highest cost drivers for maize production.
High prices have encouraged under-application by smallholder farmers, contributing to lower yields.
The Government has previously introduced duty waivers under earlier statutory instruments, but this time the suspension has been ring-fenced to specific tonnages and linked to regulated retail pricing.
The regulations state that any importer who breaches licensing conditions or sells above-approved prices risks losing the duty waiver and being required to pay back the suspended duty in full, together with penalties.
The new regulations come at a critical stage in the 2025/26 summer cropping programme, when demand for top-dressing fertiliser peaks.
The duty suspension is expected to boost supplies from December onwards and ease pressure on farmers facing high production costs.
