Zimbabwe must urgently boost domestic fertiliser production and strengthen linkages across the fertiliser value chain to reduce imports, meet national demand and protect the country from supply disruptions that may be caused by external shocks.
Boosting domestic fertiliser is crucial to ramp up production in agriculture, which accounts for between 12 and 16 percent of Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product, and achieve national food and nutrition security.AI strategy consulting
Parliament Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce chairman, Mr Clemence Chiduwa, speaking after touring operations at Windmill Private Limited in Harare, said the country requires about 780 000 tonnes of basal and top-dressing fertilisers annually but continues to rely heavily on imports despite having local manufacturing capacity.
He said the committee’s visit was guided by the country’s industrialisation strategy under the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy, which prioritises strengthening domestic production and value chains, including fertiliser manufacturing.
“What is guiding us is the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Plan, which focuses on the fertiliser value chain. For us as a country, in terms of our national requirements, we are looking at a combined basal and top fertiliser requirement of about 780 000 tonnes.
“However, Zimbabwe remains a net importer of fertilisers, making it necessary for policymakers and industry to find ways of boosting local production,” he said.
Mr Chiduwa said during the tour, the committee was informed that capacity utilisation at Windmill is currently around 10 percent, a level he said was far below expectations for both the industry and the country. He noted that the company is under business rescue, while management indicated that it expects to exit the process in about two months, a development that could help restore production levels.
“There is still a lot to be done. They are still under business rescue and they are looking at getting out of the rescue plan, maybe in two months’ time. There is a need for a whole mindset change to ensure that they go back to production,” Mr Chiduwa said.
He said a major challenge affecting the company and the fertiliser sector more broadly is the heavy reliance on imported raw materials that could potentially be sourced locally.
According to Mr Chiduwa, key inputs such as phosphate and nitrogen, which should ideally be supplied by domestic producers, are currently being imported.
“The main challenges are also coming from other inputs that are supposed to feed into them. Phosphate, which is supposed to come from Zimphos, is being imported, while nitrogen, which is supposed to come from Sable Chemicals, is also being imported.
“Literally all their inputs are being imported, and we would want to localise that, maybe except for a few that we cannot get locally,” he said.
Mr Chiduwa also highlighted that the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East could have a negative effect on the country’s fertiliser supply chain. He said that because of the disruption of the fertiliser supply chain, the country must localise the value chains.
Mr Chiduwa said restoring the fertiliser value chain requires coordinated action across several domestic producers to ensure a reliable supply of key raw materials.
“We are looking at Windmill coming back to full production and this also entails looking at the whole value chain, like what is happening at Sable and what is happening at Zimphos,” he said.-herald
