Zimbabwe imports US$2.1bn fertiliser as local factories sit idle

HARARE — Zimbabwe spent about US$2.11 billion importing fertiliser between 2018 and 2024 despite having installed production capacity of about 2 million tonnes a year against national demand of roughly 780,000 tonnes, Parliament has heard.

Lawmakers debating a Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce report on the fertiliser value chain said the country continued to rely heavily on imports while key domestic plants operated far below capacity or had stopped production altogether.

“Zimbabwe has the capacity to produce enough fertiliser, yet we continue to spend large amounts of foreign currency in importing it,” Zanu PF Hurungwe East legislator Chenjerai Kangausaru told the National Assembly.

“Between 2018 Madam Speaker and 2024, Zimbabwe spent about 2.11 billion on fertiliser imports. Despite having installed production capacity of about two million tonnes per year against the national demand of about 780,000 tonnes, I wish to highlight three key issues.”

Kangausaru said Dorowa Minerals, which supplies phosphate used in fertiliser production, operated at only about 20% capacity between 2016 and 2024 before stopping production in 2025.

“ZimPhos is operating at only 5% capacity while several chemicals have been out of production since 2022,” he said.

“Government and the Monomutapa Fund must focus on getting this factory working again, with funding linked to clear production targets. We should measure success by how much fertiliser is actually produced, not simply how much money is spent on rehabilitation.”

Parliament also heard that fertiliser companies were being constrained by unpaid government debts and weak procurement systems.

“The Government must pay its debts and improve accountability,” Kangausaru said.

“The report shows that companies are struggling because they are owed money. ZFC for example, was owed about USD1.2 million by the Government while ZimPhos has about 4.6 million in debts owed to it.”

He also cited concerns over procurement at Dorowa, where Parliament was told US$1.4 million had been paid for equipment that was never delivered.

Kangausaru said the country remained exposed to international price shocks because local fertiliser production still depended on imported raw materials.

“We cannot achieve real self-sufficiency if our factories continue to import the key materials that are needed,” he said.

“The report notes that Zimbabwe continues to import important inputs such as phosphorus-related products and sulphuric acid. This makes production expensive and exposes the country to foreign currency shortages and international price changes.”

He said the government should prioritise revival of Dorowa, ZimPhos and Sable Chemicals as an integrated fertiliser production chain and improve transport infrastructure to reduce costs.

“The message from this report is clear, Zimbabwe has the resources and the factories, but we are failing to turn it into production,” Kangausaru said.

“We must therefore move from importing to producing, from spending to results and from short-term intervention to a properly coordinated fertiliser strategy.”

Other lawmakers echoed concerns over the gap between Zimbabwe’s domestic production capacity and its reliance on imports.

*Opposition MP Prosper Mutseyami *said fertiliser was directly linked to food security, agricultural productivity, employment and the cost of living.

“Why does Zimbabwe continue to import large quantities of fertiliser when we process significant domestic manufacturing capacity and important raw materials?” he asked.

“Zimbabwe has for years spoken about the storing of fertiliser production but it has not happened.”

Mutseyami said the 2026 budget statement showed the country spent more than US$331 million on fertiliser imports during the 2023-2024 season.

“How can a country with established fertiliser manufacturing companies, phosphate resources and existing industrial infrastructure remain so dependent on fertiliser imported from other countries?” he said.

He said companies across the fertiliser value chain, including Dorowa Minerals, ZimPhos, Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company and Sable Chemicals, were battling ageing equipment, inadequate working capital and plant breakdowns.

Parliament was told Chemplex production capacity had previously fallen below 30%, while Sable Chemicals, Zimbabwe’s sole ammonium nitrate producer, had been closed for about three years before restarting production in 2026 following capital support from the Mutapa Investment Fund.

Sable is targeting production of about 240,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate annually against national demand of about 380,000 tonnes.

“Recapitalisation without accountability can become another injection of public money into inefficient enterprise,” Mutseyami said.

The fertiliser industry’s problems have also affected employment.

Parliament heard that G&W Industrial Minerals had supported about 170 workers before operations were disrupted, while Dorowa currently employs about 136 workers and did not bring back around 100 contract workers because of financial and operational constraints.

Windmill Fertilisers was reported to employ about 750 permanent workers and 125 casual workers while operating at only 10% capacity.

“We cannot continue spending billions of dollars importing products that we have the capacity to produce locally while our young people are looking for work,” an MP said during the debate.

“The report tells us that Zimbabwe spent approximately $2.11 billion on fertiliser imports from 2018 to 2024, despite having substantial domestic production capacity.”

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