Parliament has urged the Government to prioritise locally manufactured fertiliser in its programmes, establish affordable long-term financing facilities to revive the domestic fertiliser industry and reduce the country’s dependence on imports.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce made the recommendations in a report tabled in the National Assembly, yesterday, by its chairman, Clemence Chiduwa, following an inquiry into the fertiliser value chain conducted between March and April this year.
The committee raised concern that Zimbabwe spent more than US$2 billion on fertiliser imports between 2018 and 2024, despite the country having access to raw materials and installed industrial capacity capable of meeting local requirements.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the country has an installed annual capacity of about two million tonnes of basal fertiliser, significantly above national demand of approximately 400 000 tonnes, as well as capacity to produce around 380 000 tonnes of top-dressing fertiliser.
The committee said the gap between installed capacity and actual production represented a major opportunity for import substitution, industrial development and improved food security.
“The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Development, should implement local procurement and import substitution measures to increase utilisation of domestic fertiliser production capacity by December 31, 2026,” the report said.
However, MPs identified high energy tariffs, expensive transport, imported inputs and limited access to affordable finance as major constraints undermining the competitiveness of local manufacturers.
They called on the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, together with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, to establish affordable long-term financing facilities and targeted support measures for fertiliser manufacturers.
“The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, together with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, should establish affordable long-term financing facilities and sector-specific support measures for fertiliser manufacturers by December 31, 2026,” the report said.
The committee also highlighted transport challenges, particularly the poor state of railway infrastructure, port inefficiencies and excessive reliance on road transportation, which have increased costs and disrupted supply chains.
It urged the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to prioritise railway rehabilitation and improve efficiency along major logistics corridors.
Regulatory challenges were also cited, with the committee calling for streamlined licensing procedures, removal of duties on critical fertiliser inputs and greater policy certainty to encourage investment.
Following site visits to major producers including G & W Industries, Dorowa Resources, ZimPhos, Sable Chemicals and ZFC, as well as private-sector firms such as NutriFert, Omnia Fertilisers, Origin, Zimplats SuperFert, Windmill and ETG, the committee concluded that the sector’s problems were largely systemic.
“These factors have undermined domestic production, increased dependence on imported raw materials, and weakened national food security,” the report said.
The committee stressed that reviving upstream production, addressing public-sector debts, rehabilitating infrastructure and improving coordination across the value chain were critical to unlocking existing industrial capacity.
It underscored that strengthening local fertiliser production would not only reduce the import bill but also support Zimbabwe’s industrialisation drive and enhance national food security.
