Source: Zim to cut US$200m fertiliser import bill – herald
Professor Mthuli NcubeTheseus Mauruki Shambare
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE is moving to end dependence on imported fertiliser, with the Government targeting self-sufficiency in production as part of efforts to cut the country’s annual import bill and strengthen food security.
The push comes as the Government intensifies efforts to revive and expand local fertiliser manufacturing capacity, with authorities arguing that domestic production will shield farmers from global supply disruptions and foreign currency pressures.
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, writing in his latest Sunday Mail column, said Zimbabwe had the capacity to become self-sufficient in fertiliser production through investment, innovation and leveraging its natural resources.
Prof Ncube said the country’s transition from an importer to a producer would help retain foreign currency within the economy while supporting agricultural growth.
He said Zimbabwe has the necessary raw materials, including mineral resources, to develop a competitive fertiliser industry and reduce reliance on imports.
“The country has the potential to become self-sufficient in fertiliser production,” Prof Ncube wrote, highlighting that investment into local manufacturing would strengthen the agricultural value chain and support economic growth.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said the Government was already implementing measures to localise fertiliser production as part of efforts to protect the agriculture sector from global supply disruptions.
“Zimbabwe is accelerating plans to localise fertiliser production,” Dr Masuka said, adding that the country needed to develop domestic capacity to guarantee reliable access to inputs.
He said the Government was pursuing strategies aimed at reducing vulnerability to international markets while ensuring farmers have timely access to affordable fertiliser.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Professor Obert Jiri said fertiliser security remained critical to sustaining agricultural productivity and achieving food security.
Prof Jiri said the Government was working on strengthening the fertiliser value chain, including promoting local production and addressing supply challenges affecting farmers.
“Fertiliser availability is critical for us to achieve our agricultural targets,” Prof Jiri said, adding that interventions were being implemented to ensure adequate supplies for farmers.
The push towards fertiliser self-sufficiency follows years of dependence on imports, exposing the country to global price fluctuations, foreign currency pressures and supply chain disruptions.
The Government has identified local resource beneficiation, investment and industrial revival as key pillars in reducing fertiliser imports and building a resilient agricultural sector.
Zimbabwe’s drive towards fertiliser self-sufficiency is anchored on a small but interconnected group of existing players across the value chain, rather than entirely new entrants.
At the upstream level, companies such as ZimPhos and Sable Chemicals produce key inputs including phosphate- and nitrogen-based compounds, while Dorowa Minerals supplies essential phosphate rock.
These are then processed and blended by major manufacturers such as Windmill and the Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company (ZFC), with additional contributions from regional and local firms including Omnia Fertiliser Zimbabwe, ETG Inputs and FSG.
Together, these companies form an integrated industrial base that the Government is seeking to strengthen and expand in order to reduce imports, stabilise supply and build domestic fertiliser security.
Officials believe that increasing local production capacity will not only reduce the country’s import bill but could also position Zimbabwe as a regional supplier of fertiliser.
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