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Sharon Shayanewako

FARMERS must go ahead with their preparations for the 2022/23 cropping season and not be deterred by the recent hikes in fertiliser prices, as the Government will provide them with inputs under its Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme.

Some retail outlets recently hiked the price of a 50kg bag of Ammonia Nitrate from between US$40 and US$45 to $8 999 (local currency) or US$77 to US$80, which is way out of reach for many farmers.

Agriculture and Rural Development Advisory Services chief director Professor Obert Jiri last week revealed that there was enough fertiliser for the Presidential input support programme. 

“We will start to roll out the input programme very soon to make sure that farmers focus on preparing for the season rather than worrying about the inputs. This season we are targeting three million households under the programme and as Government, we have more than enough seeds and fertilisers for all the crops whose production we intend to support,” said Prof Jiri.

He urged farmers not to read much into the current prices saying the Government’s Pfumvudza/Intwasa Scheme would provide them with farming inputs adding that such price hikes were inevitable since the cost of most commodities had skyrocketed following the Covid-19 disruptions and the Ukraine-Russia war.

“Fertiliser is a commodity and commodity prices are currently high after the Covid-19 disruptions. 

“On the one hand, the Ukraine-Russia war has also sucked a lot of products out of the market leading to shortages that are driving up raw material prices,” explained Prof Jiri.

The Government will make use of the Grain Marketing Board’s (GMB) network of depots, the usual structures that farmers use to access Government inputs.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company (ZFC) managing director, Mr Richard Dafana called on the Government to consider subsidies for fertiliser manufacturers, supporting purchase of fertilisers with maximum local content and lowering interest rates.

Mr Dafana said such a move would help stabilise prices and lower interest rates that are currently swinging between 100 and 200 percent, which is very high.

He attributed the price increases to the geo-political instability in Europe, particularly the Russia and Ukraine War that has disrupted imports of ammonia gas, the essential raw material needed by fertiliser manufacturing industries.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) secretary general Mr Paul Zakariya also added his voice saying the lack of supply chains globally had propelled the skyrocketing of prices of AN and this is affecting the viability of farming.