The Zimbabwean government has committed 175 million U.S. dollars towards the importation of raw materials for the manufacture of fertilizer to deal with the chronic fertilizer shortages in the country, local media The Sunday Mail reported.

This investment by the government will be the largest in the fertilizer industry to date and will help rehabilitate the sector.

The funds, to be provided by the Ministry of Finance, will be earmarked for the purchase of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) used for the manufacture of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which is in high demand.

Shortages of fertilizer on the local market have been compounded by foreign currency bottlenecks and plant breakdowns, especially at the Kwekwe-based Sable Chemicals, which has the capacity to supply the local market when operating at full capacity.

Fertilizer companies have been struggling to meet the required 240, 000 metric tons per annum, a development which forced the government to mull merging the fertilizer companies in order to decisively deal with the problems.

Source: Xinhua